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THE  PRINCESS  TARAKAXOVA 


THE      PRINCESS     TARAKANOVA 


The  only  art  her  airill  to  coyer, 
'To  hide  far  shame  from   every  e)    . 


; 
." ,'//'/  wrf/uf  his  bosom     is  to  die. 


THE 


PRINCESS  TARAKANOVA 

%  §ax\\  Chapter  jof  Russian  listers 


TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    RUSSIAN 
OF 

G.     P.    DANILEVSKI 

BY 

IDA  DE  MOUCHANOFF 


WITH     FOUR     PORTRAITS 


ilruj  gotft 

MACMILLAN    &   CO. 

LONDON  :    SWAN    SONNENSCHEIN    &    CO. 


' 


(if  I  tf 


CONTENTS 


P6-  3^21 


Introduction 


1X-XXV111 


part  I. 


DIARY  OF  LIEUTENANT  RONSOV. 


CHAP. 


PAGE 


I. 

Tempest-tossed. 

1 

II. 

My  Imprisonment      .... 

6 

III. 

Important  News        .... 

.       13 

IV. 

I  see  the  Princess  .... 

.       21 

V. 

My  Interview  with  the  Princess. 

27 

VI. 

The  Princess  asks  Me  to  assist  Her 

.      33 

VII. 

I  convey  a  Letter  . 

41 

VIII. 

I  deliver  a  Letter 

.       50 

IX. 

We  will  befriend  Her  . 

,      60 

X. 

Is  the  Count  a  Traitor? 

.     m 

XI. 

The  Departure  from  Rome     . 

,      82 

XII. 

The  Princess  seeks  My  Advice 

89 

XIII. 

The  "  Marriage  "      . 

96 

XIV. 

Treachery         ..... 

,     104 

XV. 

Remorse 

109 

XVI. 

The  Bottle  cast  into  the  Sea 

.     114 

VII 


viii  CONTENTS. 

part  II. 

RAVELIN  ALEXEEF. 

CHAP.  PAGE 

XVII.  Ekaterina  at  Moscow     ....  125 

XVIII.  The  Princess  at  St.  Petersburg  .        .129 

XIX.  The  Historiographer  Miller         .        .137 

XX.    Miller's  Reply 144 

XXI.  Orloff  and  the  Princess        .        .        .  152 

XXII.  Orloff's  Interview  with  the  Princess  159 

XXIII.  Orloff  at  Moscow 1G8 

XXIV.  The  Princess  writes  to  the  Empress  .  177 
XXV.  Father  Peter  Andreef  ....  183 

XXVI.  The  Visitors'  Quest         ....  188 

XXVII.    A  late  Visitor 196 

XXVIII.    Baptism 202 

XXIX.  Confession  and  Absolution     .        .        .  208 

XXX.  "  What  if  the  Captive  be  Innocent  ?"  213 

XXXI.    Release 218 

XXXII.  "  A  Rose  and  a  Myrtle  "...  227 

XXXIII.  Pavel  Petrovitch  and  the  Enchanter  237 

XXXIV.  A  Myrtle  Leaf 243 

XXXV.  Fifteen  Years  After      ....  249 


INTRODUCTION. 


Gregory  Petrovitcii  Danilevski  ivas  born  at 
Danilovki,  an  estate  in  the  government  of  Kharkov, 
on  April  14th,  1829.  He  died  last  winter  at  St. 
Petersburg,  on  December  6th.  Eis  childhood  over 
— it  was  spent  partly  on  the  estate  of  his  grand- 
father,  near  Dontsov,  partly  on  the  estate  of  Petrovski 
— he  became  a  student  first  of  the  Muscovite  Insti- 
tute for  the  nobility,  afterwards  of  the  University 
of  St.  Petersburg,  leaving  the  latter,  in  1850,  as 
graduate  in  jurisprudence.  In  1848,  during  his 
studentship,  he  tvas  presented  with  a  silver  medal 
at  the  meeting  of  the  Philological  Institute  for  his 
composition  on  Poushkin  and  Kriloff. 

From  1850  to  1857  he  served  in  the  ministry  of 
public  instruction,  at  first  tinder  Noroff,  afterwards 
tender  Prince  Viazimski.  During  this  period  he 
visited  Finland  and  the  Crimea,  and  worked,  by 
commission  from  the  Archceological  Society,  on  the 
archives  of  the  monasteries  of  the  governments  of 
Kharkov,  Koursk,  and,  Poltava,  and,  at  the  sugges- 


IX 


x  INTRODUCTION. 

tion  of  the  historian  Oustrialoff,  wrote  a  description 
of  the  famous  battlefield  of  the  last-named  place. 
In  1856,  at  the  instance  of  the  Imperial  admiral, 
Constantino  Nicolaievitch,  he  was  sent  to  the  south 
of  Russia  to  write  a  description  of  the  Sea  of  Azov, 
the  Dneiper,  and  the  Don.  In  the  following  year 
he  resigned  his  official  appointment.  Thereafter, 
for  twelve  years,  he  lived  at  Petrovski,  his  own 
favourite  estate  in  Kharkov,  from  time  to  time, 
however,  paying  visits  to  Poland,  White  Russia, 
Volhynie,  and  Podolia,  and  sailing  down  the 
Volga,  Don,  and  Dnieper.  Made  in  1859  deputy 
of  the  committee  of  Kharkov  for  improving  the 
condition  of  the  peasantry,  he  ivas  instructed  four 
years  later,  by  Golovinin,  the  minister  of  public 
instruction,  to  inspect  and  to  report  on  the  con- 
dition  of  200  national  schools  in  the  government 
of  Kharkov.  During  the  first  three  years  of  the 
establishment  of  the  rural  police  courts  he  served 
by  election.  Despatched  to  St.  Petersburg  in  1868 
as  a  deputy  by  the  government  of  Kharkov,  he  had 
the  honour  of  being  presented  to  the  emperor. 
From  1867  to  1870  he  held  the  post  of  honorary 
justice  of  the  peace.  Finally,  in  1869,  on  the 
institution  of  the  official  organ,  "  The  Government 
Herald,"  he  was  appointed  senior  assistant  to  the 
chief  editor.     This  post  he  occupied  eleven  years. 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 

His  historical  novels  have  created  quite  a  sensa- 
tion in  Bussia  by  reason  of  their  originality,  their 
fascination,  and  their  truthfulness  to  history  and  to 
nature.  Among  the  more  celebrated  of  his  numerous 
ivories,  besides  the  novel  of  ivliich  a  translation  is  here 
presented,  are  "  Merovitch"  and  "Freedom."  As 
Danilevski  has,  hitherto,  been  unknown  in  England, 
some  remarks  on  Ids  writings  ivill  be  of  interest. 

With  regard  to  the  sad  history  contained  in  this 
book,  it  is  evident  that  the  author  had  exceptional 
information  on  the  subject  of  his  narrative,  for 
he  is  not  over-careful  to  conceal  his  opinion  of 
the  strong  probability  of  the  Princess  TarakanovaJ  s 
claims  being  legitimate  as  well  as  bona-fide,  and 
of  Orloffs  real  character  being  greatly  different 
from  the  popular  estimate  of  it  as  expressed  in 
the  lines  under  the  count's  portrait.  It  is  not 
knoiun  how  the  remarkable  diary  which  constitutes 
Part  I.  of  this  work  came  into  Danilevski's  hands ; 
but  there  is  ground  for  the  conjecture  that  it  came 
to  him,  w itli  other  papers,  from  his  grandmother. 
A  curious  fact,  too,  is  the  circumstance  that 
DanilevsMs  governess  was  a  lady  of  the  name  oj 
Pchelkina.  However  tin's  may  be,  my  husband, 
Colonel  de  Genie  de  Mouchanojf,  was  informed  by 
Danilevski  himself  that  the  diary  as  published  is 
almost  word  for  word  as  written  by  Konsov,  and 


xii  INTRODUCTION. 

that  the  details  concerning  the  subsequent  history 
of  the  captive  were  obtained  by  him  from  authentic 
official  documents. 

Nevertheless,  Danilevski's  view  is  not  the  popular 
one.  Schebalski  and  Solovieff  in  dealing  ivith  this 
subject  write  as  follows  : — 

"  When  Russia  ivas  involved  in  the  war  with 
Turkey  some  evil-minded  persons  availed  themselves 
of  the  opportunity  to  bring  forward  pretenders  to 
the  throne.  They  set  rumours  afloat  to  the  effect 
that  Elizabeth,  after  her  secret  marriage  with  Count 
Razoumovski,  had  a  daughter,  and  that  this  child 
was  she  who  was  known  by  the  name  of  Princess 
Tarakanova. 

"  The  adventures  of  this  Pretender  form  a  very 
interesting  page  in  Russian  history,  and  have  given 
rise  to  many  novels  and  tales.  They  have  now, 
however,  lost  much  of  their  mysterious  interest, 
thanks  to  the  extracts  printed  from  the  proces  of 
Princess  Tarakanova,  not  long  since  published  in 
one  of  our  historical  reviews.  Still,  it  is  an  ascer- 
tained, fact  that  the  Princess  spent  several  of  the 
years  of  her  youth  abroad,  and  that  she  led  a 
luxurious  though  retired  life.  Very  likely  the  tie 
between  this  person  and  the  Russian  Empress  may 
have  been  known  to  political  intriguers,  and  have 
suggested  to  them  the  idea  of  using  this  Pretender 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

as  an  instrument  for  raising  a  revolution  in  Russia. 
There  is  every  reason  to  helieve  that  Prince  Radzi- 
rill,  the  leader  of  the  confederation  of  Radomshi, 
educated  a  young  girl  with  this  object  in  view ;  hut 
whether  this  girl  became  the  future  Taralcanova,  or 
some  other  person,  is  to  this  day,  and  most  probably 
will  remain  eternally,  unknown. 

"  What  is  really  ascertained  is  that  a  young  girl 
of  very  humble  origin,  a  native  of  Prague  orNurem- 
burg,  endowed  with  the  most  marvellous  beauty, 
clever  ami  enterprising,  but  of  extremely  equivocal, 
conduct,  shone  from  the  end  of  the  year  17G0 
till  the  beginning  of  1770  at  Berlin,  London,  and 
Paris,  lavishly  spending  on  her  dress  and  pleasures 
the  money  which  she  had  levied  on  her  admirers. 
With  every  new  residence  she  changed  her  inline. 
In  Paris  she  was  the  "  Princess  Wladimirslcaya" 
a  native  of  Russia,  but  brought  up,  it  was  said, 
in  Persia,  as  mischief  was  feared  at  the  hands  of 
her  enemies  in  Russia,  where,  so  she  alleged,  she 
had  great  possessions.  We  are  bound,  indeed,  to 
believe  that  Iter  charms  were  extraordinary ;  for 
notwithstanding  her  conduct,  several  highly  placed, 
jiersonages,  in  both  France  and  Germany,  sought 
her  hand.  One  of  these  was  actually  a  reigning 
Prince  of  the  German  Empire.  In  1773,  the 
mysterious  adventuress  was  on  the  point  of  accept- 


xi  v  INTRO  D  UC  TION. 

ing  the  hand  of  this  prince,  but  postponed  the 
matter  under  pretence  of  starting  for  Bassia  to 
arrange  her  affairs,  and  then  suddenly  disappeared. 
In  the  spring  of  1774  she  turned  up  at  the  other 
side  of  Europe — at  Venice. 

"It  was  then  that  her  political  role  really  began. 
As  early  as  1773  she  had  had  relations  with 
several  Poles,  who  had  left  their  native  land,  shortly 
after  the  conspiracy  of  Bashi,  and  it  is  not  unlikely 
that  it  was  at  this  time  that  the  programme  of 
her  future  actions  was  arranged.  The  Princess 
WladimirsJcaya  was  to  take  the  name  of  the  "Prin- 
cess Tarakanova,"  set  sail  for  Constantinople  on 
a  ship  which  Badzivill  had  offered  to  equip,  and 
there  explain  to  the  Sultan  her  pretensions  to  the 
Russian  throne.  It  ivas  evidently  the  opinion  of 
her  advisers  that  her  appearance  on  the  Danube  at 
the  very  moment  when  Pougachoff  was  raising  a 
rebellion  on  the  Volga  would,  increase  the  difficulties 
of  Ekaterina 's  position,  and  would  be  taken  ad- 
vantage  of  by  Turkish  politicians.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  in  the  summer  of  1774,  the  Princess  Tara- 
kanova and  Prince  Badzivill,  accompanied  by  a 
numerous  suite,  did  set  sail  for  Constantinople. 
But  they  stopped  at  Bagusa,  wishing  to  ascertain 
beforehand  what  kind  of  reception  they  ivere  likely 
to  meet  with  at  the  hands  of  the  Sultan.      Uufortu- 


INTRODUCTION.  xv 

nately  for  them,  great  changes  had  taken  place. 
The  overtures  of  the  Princess  were  not  only  de- 
clined: she  was  even  invited  to  give  up  all  thought 
of  her  visit. 

"  Separated  from  Radzivill,  but  not  from  her 
political  role,  the  Princess  went  first  to  Naples  and 
then  to  Rome.  At  the  latter  city  she  tried  to  bring 
to  her  side  all  the  most  influential  cardinals,  and 
even  the  Pope  himself,  promising  that  in  the  event 
of  her  accession  to  the  throne  she  would  do  all  in 
her  poiver  to  establish  the  Catholic  faith  in  Russia. 

"  During  all  these  peripefcies  Count  Orloff  Clies- 
menslci  ivas,  as  we  all  know,  in  Italy.  Of  course 
he  lost  no  time  in  writing  full  particulars  concern- 
ing the  false  Tarakanova  to  Ehaterina,  from  whom 
lie  received  orders  to  steal  the  Pretender,  and  so 
cut  off  the  intrigue  at  the  very  outset.  Orloff  sur- 
rounded the  Princess  with  spies,  and,  through  his 
emissaries,  tried  to  inspire  her  with  confidence  in 
himself.  The  words  of  the  emissaries  seemed  very 
credible  to  the  Princess.  Gregory  Orloff  was  then 
in  disgrace,  and  it  would  be  no  very  unlikely  cir- 
cumstance if  his  brother  turned:  into  a  secret  enemy 
of  the  empress,  and  joined  in  the  intrigue.  Orloff 
placed  boundless  credit  at  her  disposition ;  and  b// 
giving  himself  out  as  a  man  deeply  outraged  by  the 
government,  persuaded  the  "  Countess  SelinsJei"  as 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 

the  Princess  then  called  herself,  to  come  to  a  ren- 
dezvous with  him  at  Pisa.  Here  he  surrounded 
her  with  all  possible  homage.  Balls  and  fetes 
succeeded  each  other  in  swift  succession.  He  made 
believe  to  fall  in  with  her  plans,  and  eventually 
offered  her  his  hand.  Nevertheless,  he  was  only 
awaiting  an  opportunity  to  arrest  her,  without 
causing  any  scandal.  He  had  not  long  to  wait. 
One  day  the  Countess  Selinslci  expressed  a  wish  to 
visit  the  Russian  squadron,  then  stationed  at 
Livorno.  Orloff  gave  orders  for  preparations  to  be 
made  for  a  magnificent  reception  of  the  countess, 
and  arranged,  splendid  naval  manoeuvres.  He 
himself,  with  her  suite,  accompanied  her  on  board 
the  man-of-war.  The  manoeuvres  began  ;  the  can- 
non fired  ;  sails  were  unfurled ;  the  ships  sailed 
out  into  the  open  sea;  and,  the  unfortunate  Pre- 
tender, at  the  end  of  a  journey,  found  herself  shut 
up  in  the  fortress  of  Petersburg.  Here,  it  is  said, 
she  languished  till  1776,  when  she  was  drowned  by 
the  rushing  of  the  waters  into  her  prison.  But 
this  is  not  true.  Historical  documents  prove  that 
she  died  of  the  same  illness  from  which  she  was 
suffering  when  she  came  to  Russia,  and,  which,  of 
course,  made  rapid  strides  during  her  confinement 
in  the  damp  dungeon." 

Bemarlcable  as  is  "  The  Princess  Taralcanova" 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 

it  is  not  regarded  in  Russia  as  so  fine  a  work  a* 
"  Merovitch"  This  work  has  attracted  universal 
attention,  for  it  describes  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing epoch*  of  Russian  history.  The  "mysterious 
and  melancholy  account  of  the  unfortunate  prince- 
martyr,  the  victim  of  troublous  times,  is  all  the 
more  interesting  as  it  is  founded  on  historical 
documents.  Written  with  great  entrain  and  truth- 
fulness,  the  novel  on  its  publication  created  quite  a 
sensation.  It  originally  appeared  in  1875,  under 
the  title,  "  The  Imperial  Prisoner"  but  its  sale  was 
prohibited.  In  1879  it  was  again  printed,  by  order 
of  the  emperor. 

"  The  whole  canvas  of  the  novel,"  says  Danilevsld, 
"such  as  the  life  and  infatuation  of  Merovitch,  the 
customs  and  manners  of  the  period ,  many  details  of 
the  reign  of  Elcaterina  and,  the  attempt  of  Mero- 
vitch, are  taken  from  the  diary  and  reminiscences  of 
my  great-grandmother,  and  of  my  grandmother,  who 
was  Friiulein  at  the  court  of  Peter  III.  Many 
things  I  toolc  down  from  the  lips  of  my  uncle,  the 
eldest  sou  of  my  father's  mother, — a  born  Ross- 
lavleff,  who,  together  with  Orloff,  as  every  one  knows, 
played  so  conspicuous  a  part  in  tlte  Coup-d'Etat 
'which  placed  Elcaterina  on  the  throne.  But  in  all 
that  belongs  to  history,  I  have,  of  course,  strictly 
adhered  to  authentic  documents  from  the  Imperial 


xviii  IN  TROD  UCTION. 

archives.  I  have  also  had  access  to  the  archives  of 
the  citadel  of  Schlusselburg,  to  the  official  documents 
of  the  council  of  Archangel,  and  I  have  visited 
the  celebrated,  dungeon  of  the  unfortunate  Prince 
Johann  Antonovitch,  and  the  birthplace  of 
'  Merovitch:  " 

"  Merovitch '  is  thus  a  detailed  account  of  the 
Coup-d'Etat  which  placed  Ekaterina  on  the 
throne  of  Russia,  and  of  the  conspiracy  and  attempt 
to  put  Johann  Antonovitch  on  the  throne,  which  was 
his  by  right. 

An  officer  named,  Merovitch  penetrated  into  the 
citadel  above  referred  to,  and  hoping  to  surprise  the 
sentinels  and  throw  them  off  their  guard,  read  a 
proclamation,  trusting  to  be  able  in  the  confusion  to 
facilitcde  the  escape  of  the  unfortunate  prince.  Bid 
long  before  strict  orders  had  been  given  (it  is  supposed, 
by  Ekaterina)  that  at  the  first  attempt  at  escape 
on  the  part  of  the  prince  he  was  to  be  hilled  on 
the  spot.  Tins  command  was  strictly  carried  out. 
When  Merovitch  entered  the  prince's  cell,  he  found, 
only  the  dead,  body  of  the  unfortunate  martyr. 

Ekaterina  II.  plays  so  important  a  part  in  the 
events  described  in  these  'novels  that  some,  particu- 
lars of  her  life  and,  character  may  not  be  out  of  place. 

She  was  bom  in  the  year  1729,  at  Stettin. 
Her  father,  a  general  in  the  Prussian  service,  and 


INTRODUCTION.  xix 

the  governor  of  this  town,  'inherited  by  the  death 
of  his  cousin,  the  Prince  of  Zerbst,  a  small  prin- 
cipality, situated  on  the  borders  of  the  Elbe, 
between  Prussia  and  Saxony, 

Her  mother  came  of  the  house  of  Holstein, 
Princess  Sophie  Augusta  of  Anhalt- Zerbst  teas 
therefore  distantly  related  to  her  future  husband. 
She  came  over  to  Russia  in  her  fourteenth  year 
with  Iter  mother,  and,  was  at  once  instructed  in  the 
Russian  faith  and  tongue.  The  following  year, 
1745,  ha  ring  been  baptized  into  the  Greek  faith 
under  the  name  of  Ekaterina  Alexeevna,  she  was 
united,  to  the  heir  of  the  Russian  empire. 

Her    husband    on  his    accession    to    the    throne 
excited  the  discontent  of  the  nation  by  publishing  a 
great  number  of  ukases,  which,  although  in  them- 
selves  most    humane    and  wise,  yet,   owing  to  the 
uncivilized  state  of  Russia,  were  in  their  nature  far 
too  premature.     Above  all,  he  outraged  the  national 
feeling    by    the    treaty    which   he    concluded    with 
Prussia  on  April   24^tlo,  1762,  by  which  Russia  re- 
turned to  Prussia  all  forts,  citadels,  and,  towns  taken 
in  the  last  war.     His  Imperial  Highness  wished, 
it  was  said,  to  give  to  the   world  an   example   of 
abnegation   and  generosity.     It  was   a  marvellous 
event;  but    although  nations    like   to  see  in    their 
sovereigns  high  moral    qualities,   they    also    desire 


xx  INTRODUCTION. 

tJtat  advantages  for  which  they  have  worked  hard 
and  shed  their  blood  should  not  be  wholly  thrown 
away.  By  this  one  act  Peter  III.  raised  the  ivhole 
nation  against  him. 

Ehaterina,  his  consort,   had  won  a  great  many 
adherents    by  her  beauty,   grace,  and  accomplish- 
ments, and  many  true  friends  among  the  nobility . 
Exceedingly  ambitious,  she  had — with  the  view,  as 
we  may  suppose,  of  one  day  ascending  the   throne 
— made    herself   thoroughly  well    acquainted   with 
Russian   legislation   and   European  politics ;    and 
being  as  deeply  devoted,  as  her  husband  was  pro- 
foundly  indifferent    to  the    Greek   Church  and  its 
ceremonies    and  symbols,  and  having  in  this  way 
established  herself  in  the  affections  of  the  Russian 
'peasantry — so   superstitiously   reverential    to  their 
Church, — she  found  it  no  difficult  matter  to  supplant 
her  less  capable  and,  unpopular  partner.     He,  as  is 
well  known,  not  only  ill-used  her,  but  was  unfaithful 
to  her.     Indeed,  it  was  rumoured  that  the  fate  of 
the  unfortunate  Princess  Eudoxie  [who   had  been 
forced;   to   take   the  veil)  was  awaiting  her.      Her 
successor  was  even  named — viz.,   the  niece  of  the 
chancellor  Vorontzoff,  a  woman  who,  as  all  contem- 
porary writers  say,  was  not  only  ugly  and  deformed, 
but  also  most  insignificant  and  illiterate.     Mean- 
while, Ehaterina9 s   conduct  had  been  'wholly  irre- 


INTRODUCTION.  xxi 

proachable.     She  was  then  at  Peterhoff,  leading  a 
most  retired  life,  but  sometimes  meeting  her  adherents, 
especially  the  two  Orloffs,  and  the  Princess  Dashhoff. 
The   Coup-d'Etat  was   to    have   taken  place   on 
Jane  29///,  at   the  patronal  fete   of  the  emperor ; 
but  the  arrest  of  Passek,  captain  of  the  regiment  of 
PreobrajensM,  together  with  the  order  given  to  the 
army  to  march  against  Denmark,  brought  about  the 
crisis.     Rumours  had  been  set  afloat  that  the  em- 
press was  in  danger.      'Hie  guards,  who  were  all 
devoted  to  the  empress — 40  officers  and  about  10,000 
privates — noisily  demanded  to  be  sent  to  Oranien- 
baum,    to    the    defence    of    their    beloved  empress. 
One    of    the  privates   rushed  to    Captain  Passek, 
exclaiming  that  the    empress  was  in  danger,  that 
an    ukase    ordering    her  arrest    had    been    issued. 
Passek  answered  that  it  was  all  nonsense.       The 
private,  horrified,  rushed  to  another  officer,  who  on 
hearing  the  news,  and  learning  that  he  had,  been  to 
Passek,  then  on  duty,  arrested  him  and  led  him  to 
Voyeikoff.     And   the   latter,   in    Ids   turn,  arrested 
Passek,   and  sent  a  report    to    Oranienbaum.     Of 
course  the  arrest  of  Passek  threw  the  whole  regi- 
ment, as  well  as  the  conspirators  in  other  regiments, 
into  a  panic.      It  was   decided  to   send   Orlojf  to 
Peterhoff  to  escort  the  empress  to  Petersburg. 

It  was  six   o'clock  in  the  morning  when   Orloff 


xxii  INTRODUCTION. 

readied  Peterhoff.  He  knocked  at  the  empress's 
door,  walked  in,  and  very  coolly  said,  "It  is  time 
to  get  up ;  all  is  ready!"  "What!  how?"  ex- 
claimed Ekaterina.  "  Passek  is  arrested,"  an- 
swered Orloff.  Ekaterina  asked  no  more  questions, 
but,  hastily  dressing,  took  her  seat  inside  the  car- 
riage.  Orloff  sat  by  the  coachman  ;  another  officer, 
Bihikqff,  rode  at  the  door.  They  made  straight  for 
the  barracks  of  Ismail  off.  The  alarm  was  given. 
Soldiers  ran  out,  surrounded  the  empress,  kissing 
her  hands,  her  garments,  calling  her  their 
"  saviour."  Two  soldiers  led  a  priest  up,  and  all 
crowded  to  her  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance.  The 
empress  was  invited,  to  take  Iter  place  in  the  car- 
riage again.  The  priest,  with  the  cross,  went  on 
ahead.  Soon  they  all  arrived  at  the  barracks  of 
Simeon,  followed  by  tlie  two  regiments.  These 
accompanied  her  to  the  cathedral  of  Kazan,  where 
the  Archbishop  Dimitri  met  her.  The  Te  Deum 
was  sung,  and  Ekaterina  Alexeevna  was  proclaimed 
Empress  of  Russia,  and  Pavel  Petrovitch,  her  son, 
heir  to  the  throne,  28th  June,  1762. 

On  leaving  the  cathedral  the  empress  was  driven 
to  the  Winter  Palace,  where  she  took  up  her 
residence. 

Meanwhile,  Peter  III.  was  quite  ignorant  of 
these  e cents.     At  the  eery  time  when  Ekaterina  was 


I  NT  ROD  UC  TION.  xxii  i 

being  proclaimed   empress,   lie   was  preparing  to 
start  with  a  large  and  brilliant  suite  for  Peterhoff, 

where,  as  had  been  before  decided,  his  fete  was  to 
be  celebrated.  An  officer,  Goodovitch,  who  had  gone 
on  before,  suddenly  returned  ivith  all  haste  and 
ivhispered  softly  to  refer  that  the  empress  had  left 
the  palace  long  ago,  and  ira.s  now  nowhere  to  be 
found.  The  emperor,  in  a  passion,  jumped  out  of 
his  carriage  and,  walled  rapidly  to  the  pavilion 
"  Mon-Plaisir"  but  found  nothing  save  his  consort1 's 
ball-dress,  ready  for  the  fete.  "Did  I  not  tell  you 
she  was  bold  enough,  for  anything  ?  "  was  Peter's 
first  exclamation.  Originally,  it  was  the  intention 
of  Peter  to  assert  his  rights;  but  the  representa- 
tions of  his  friends,  the  small  number  of  his  fol- 
lowers, and,  the  fervour  shown  to  the  new  empress, 
all  combined  to  shake  his  resolution,  and  the  same 
day  he  signed,  his  abdication. 

Seven  days  later  he  died  in  the  palace  of 
Mopshoe — poisoned,  as  it  is  supposed. 

Elcaterina  died  on  November  6th,  1796,  at  the 
■age  of  67. 

In  estimating  the  character  of  this  famous  woman, 
we  must  not  judge  her  actions  as  'ice  should  those  of 
a  private  person.  Indeed,  in  reflecting  on  the  lives 
of  those  ivho  have,  it  may  be  said,  to  anstcer  for 
the  welfare  and  prosperity    of  nations,    we  should 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

never  forget  the  fact  that  these  high  personages 
have  often,  sometimes  against  their  own  feelings, 
to  sacrifice  the  life  of  one  for  the  well-being  of 
thousands.  Nor  should  we  fail  to  take  into  account 
the  character  of  the  times  in  which  Ekaterina 
ascended  the  throne.  When  her  reign  is  compared 
with  the  reigns  of  those  who  preceded,  her,  it  appears 
in  any  but  an  unpleasant  light.  Indeed,  it  is 
impossible  not  to  admire  the  empress  for  the 
humanity  of  her  laws,  and  for  the  example  she  set  to 
all  her  court  in  frugality,  industry,  and  simplicity. 

The  poet  Derjavin  wrote  an  ode  in  her  honour, 
in  tvhich  he  contrasted  her  manner  of  living  with 
that  of  her  courtiers.  She  rose  very  early,  was 
always  occupied,  devoted  several  hours  every  day  to 
new  projects,  laivs,  etc.,  for  different  institutions, 
more  often  she  went  on  foot  than  she  drove.  Her 
table  tvas  most  frugal,  although  of  course  she  lead 
every  luxury  at  her  command.  Cards  were  all  the 
rage  then,  especially  the  most  hazardous  game  of 
"  Faro,"  tvhich  as  grand-duchess  she  had  been 
made  to  play  at  court.  But  after  she  ascended  the 
throne  she  never  played  at  games  of  chance  again. 
She  did  not  care  very  much  for  masquerade  balls, 
only  talcing  part  in  them  on  solemn  occasions. 

On  her  accession    she  found  all  legislation,  all 
administration  of  justice  in  most  frightful  chaos,  but 


INTRODUCTION.  xxv 

reduced  everything  to  order.  "Of  darkness  -she  made 
light."     Justice  could  no  longer  be  bought  or  sold. 

She  was  never  proud  :  to  the  meanest  of  her 
subjects  always  easy  of  access.  Nor  was  she  ever 
offended  at  hearing  the  unvarnished  truth — witness 
her  polemic  with  Von  Viesing.  She  did  not  resent 
the  most  hitter  criticism. 

By  an  ukase  she  put  down  a  most  horrible 
institution  called  Slovo-i-dielo,1  which  somewhat 
resembled  the  Star  Chamber.  So  strict  had  the 
lairs  been  that  people  could  be  brought  to  the  torture 
for  having  whispered  at  their  own  tables  one  to 
another ;  for  not  having  drunk  the  health  of  the 
reigning  Sovereign;  for  having  scratched  out  the 
Imperial  name  and  rewritten  it;  for  having  dropped 
money  on  which  was  stamped  the  Imperial  effigy. 
Very  differently  from  one  of  her  predecessors,  Anna, 
Johannovna,  she  did  not  exact  that  her  courtiers 
should  be  sitting  on  baskets  in  rows  along  the 
rooms  through  which  she  had  to  pass  from  the 
chapel  to  her  own  rooms,  and  cackle  like  hens. 
Nor  used  she  to  slap  her  courtiers'  faces.  She 
built  no  ice  palace  to  marry  her  jester  and  jestress 
in;  she  allowed  none  of  her  favourites  to  blacken 
with  soot  the  faces  of  the  proud  old  aristocracy,  "  to 
make    an    empress  laugh"     She  was  the  first   to 

1  Lit.,  word  and  deed. 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

teach  her  subjects  self-respect.  She  wrote  an  ex- 
cellent moral  tale  for  her  grandson,  in  which,  ad- 
monishing him  to  shun  flatterers,  she  told  him  that 
to  be  invulnerable  to  slander,  "  Do  no  ill,  and  the 
bitterest  traducer  will  stand  before  the  world,  a 
convicted  liar."  She  abolished  torture  on  reading 
the  interrogation  of  Volhynski,  a  Russian  boyar, 
brought  to  torture  for  supposed  treason,  and  in  her 
testament  she  willed  that  her  descendants  should 
read  that  piece  of  conviction  to  stifle  in  them  any 
inclination  to  cruelty. 

She  ivas  the  first  to  divide  the  Russian  Empire 
into  provinces,  and  to  give  each  province  self- 
government.  She  opened  the  first  national  schools, 
cadet-corps,  and  two  splendid  half-school,  half- 
convent-like  institutions  for  the  education  of  the 
daughters  of  the  nobility.  Site  promulgated  an 
•ukase  allowing  landlords  to  work  the  mines  of  gold 
and  silver  found  on  their  own  properties,  which 
before  had  been  strictly  forbidden ;  and  made  all 
the  rivers  and  seas  free  of  access  to  every  one — i.e., 
every  one  might  sail  on  them,  use  them  for  mills, 
etc.  She  tried,  to  encourage  weaving,  spinning  awl 
serving,  science  and  commerce,  and  gave  permission 
to  all  her  subjects  to  travel — then  an  unknown 
liberty.  It  is  the  boast  of  Russians  that  in  her 
reign  no  beggars  'were  to  be  found,  owing,  no  doubt, 


IN  TROD  UC  TION.  x  x  \  •  i  i 

to  her  humane  laws  regarding  the  serfs.  Every 
landlord  was  compelled  to  keep  on  his  estate,  and 
to  provide  for,  every  serf,  whether  the  serf  ivere 
able  to  work  or  not.  It  would,  in  fact,  take  too  long 
to  enumerate  all  the  numerous  acts  of  clemency, 
justice,  and  wisdom  of  this  wise,  prudent,  and  far- 
seeing  empress.  If  her  frailty  as  a  woman  calls 
for  the  world's  censure,  no  one,  on  reading  her 
history,  can  forbear  bringing  to  her  feet  the  tribute 
she  so  well  deserves  as  an  empress. 

In  the  present  translation  I  have  tried  to  pre- 
serve,  as  far  as  possible,  the  quaintness  and 
piquancy  of  the  original  Russian,  but  I  fear  that 
in  thus  endeavouring  to  produce  a  faithful  copy  of 
the  author's  work  I  hare  often  sacrificed  elegant 
and  correct  English.  Only  those  who  know  how 
terse  and  vigorous  a  language  the  Russian  is  will 
be  able  to  appreciate  the  translator's  difficulties, 
which  are  greater  than  those  of  an  author  of  a  new 
work,  so  far  as  the  mere  writing  of  it  is  concerned. 
Whilst  it  is  often  impossible  to  adhere  strictly  to 
the  author's  words  without  producing  obscurities, 
the  use  of  lengthy  phrases  and  even  whole  sentences 
to  express  the  full  sense  of  the  original,  means,  on 
the  oilier  hand,  the  annihilation  of  the  author's  style. 
As  a  rule,  translators  of  Russian  works,  in  their 
endeavour  to  make  their  renderings  readable,  only 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

succeed  in  producing  a  tale  in  common-place 
English,  with  a  foreign  plot,  long  drawn  out,  devoid 
of  colour,  and,  wearisome  to  read, — barely  recog- 
nisable sometimes  by  those  who  are  conversant  with 
the  original. 

To  assist  those  who  are  not  familiar  with  Russia 
and  Russian  history,  I  have  explained  various 
references  in  the  text  by  means  of  footnotes  ;  and  to 
excite  a  more  lively  interest  in  the  characters,  I  have 
included  portraits.  The  frontispiece  is  a  reproduc- 
tion of  an  engraving  taken  from  a  celebrated,  paint- 
ing which  embodies  the  popular  legend,  concerning 
the  Princess  TaralmnovaJs  last  hours.1  The  por- 
traits of  Orloff  and  Ekaterina  are  reproduced  from 
old  and  rare  engravings.  Danilevskis  likeness  is 
from  a  photograph  taken  some  years  ago. 

In  conclusion,  conscious  of  many  faults  and, 
oversights  in  a  translation  originally  not  intended 
for  publication,  I  have  to  acknowledge  that  I  am 
most  indebted  to  Mr.  F.  Dillon  Woon,  of  Walliug- 
ton,  England,  for  his  kind  aid  and  criticism,  and 
to  accord  Itim  my  best  thanks. 

IDA  DE   MOUCIIANOFF. 

Pskov. 

1  The  original  painting  (by  Constantinc  Flavitski)  hangs 
in  the  famous  private  gallery  of  M.  Tretiakoff. 


PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

PART  I. 


DIARY  OF  LIEUTENANT  KONSOV. 


"  There  can  be  no  doubt  she  is  an  adventuress/' 

— Letter  of  Ekaterina  II. 


CHAPTER  1. 

TEMPEST-  TOSSED. 

May,  1775  :  Atlantic  Ocean, 

Frigate  Northern  Eagle. 

A  storm  lias  been  raging  for  already  three  days. 
We  have  been  so  tossed  about  that  it  has  been 
impossible  to  write.  Our  frigate,  the  Northern 
Eagle,  is  not  far  from  Gibraltar.  We  have  lost 
our  rudder,  and  our  sails  are  all  torn,  and  now 
the  current  is  carrying  us  south-eastwards. 
Where  shall  we  land  ?  what  will  become  of  us  ? 

It  is  night;    the  wind  has  fallen,  and  the  sea 
is  calmer.     I  am  writing  in  my  cabin.     All  that 

1  B 


2  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

I  have  time  to  write    of  what  I  have   seen  and 

undergone,  I  will  place  in  a  bottle,  and  cast  it 

upon  the  waters;  and  you  who   may   chance  to 

find  it  I  entreat,  by   all  that  is   sacred,  to  send  it 

to  its  address.     Ah  !  all-powerful  God,  grant  me 

powers  of  memory;    enlighten  my  poor  soul,  so 

torn  with  doubt ! 

***** 

I  am  a  sailor,  Pavel  Konsov,  an  officer  in  the 
navy  of  our  most  gracious  Majesty,  Empress  of 
all  the  Russias,  Ekaterina  II.  Five  years  ago, 
by  the  mercy  of  God,  I  succeeded  in  distinguish- 
ing myself  at  the  famous  battle  of  Chesma.  All 
the  world  knows  of  our  brave  companions, 
Lieutenant  Elien  and  Lieutenant  Klokachov,  who, 
on  the  night  of  the  twenty-sixth  of  June,  1770, 
with  four  fire-ships  and  a  few  Grecian  boats, 
hastily  equipped,  bravely  advanced  upon  the 
Turkish  fleet  at  Chesma,  and  rendered  valuable 
assistance  in  its  destruction.  I,  though  so  insig- 
nificant, had  the  good  fortune,  under  cover  of  the 
fire-ships  and  the  dark,  to  throw  with  my  own 
hand,  from  our  ship,  January,  the  first  fire-ball 
at  the  enemy.  It  was  this  fire-ball  which,  falling 
into  and  igniting  the  powder  magazine,  caused 
the  explosion  near  the  ship  of  the  Turkish  ad- 
miral from  which  the  Avhole  fleet  took  fire. 


CHESMA.  3 

Next  morning,  of  over  a  hundred  formidable 
men-of-war,  some  of  sixty  and  some  of  ninety 
guns,  frigates,  galliots,  and  galeres, — not  one 
remained  !  On  the  surface  of  the  waters  were 
visible  only  wreckage  and  numbers  of  dead 
bodies. 

Our  victory  was  sung  in  odes  by  the  celebrated 
poet  Heraskov,  and  several  lines  were  dedicated 
to  my  humble  self,  until  then  unknown  to  the 
world.  This  poem  was  in  every  one's  mouth. 
The  English  in  the  Russian  service — for  instance, 
Mackenzie  and  Dugdale,  who  served  on  one  of 
the  fire-ships — took  to  themselves  the  credit  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  glory  won  at  the  battle 
of  Chesma.  But  they  did  not  really  much 
surpass  our  own  officers  and  men,  who  all 
distinguished  themselves  by  their  courage  and 
gallantry.  After  this  event  I  was  found  worthy 
of  receiving  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  the 
Count  Alexis  Orioif,  the  hero  of  Chesma,  having 
honoured  me  by  his  preference,  I  became  his 
aide-de-camp.  My  career  was  thus,  so  far,  very 
fortunate.  Life,  on  the  whole,  smiled  upon  me. 
But  sometimes  a  fatal  destiny  pursues  man. 
Suddenly  fortune  ceased  to  favour  me,  angry 
maybe,  at  my  abrupt,  albeit  forced,  departure 
from  my  native  land. 


4  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

Resting  on  our  laurels  reaped  at  Cliesma,  we 
led  joyous  lives.  We  received  flattering  invita- 
tions from  the  French,  Spanish,  Venetians,  and 
men  of  other  nations.  All  at  once,  upon  me, 
the  alien,  there  fell  a  new,  unexpected,  and  very 
terrible  temptation . 

The  war  continued,  but  Count  Orloff,  after 
many  noisy  battles,  lived  in  luxurious  ease  with 
the  fleet.  He  was  wont  to  say,  "  I  am  as  happy 
as  Enoch,  who  was  taken  up  to  heaven."  But 
these  were  mere  words,  for,  since  he  had  taken 
an  active  part  in  placing  Ekaterina  upon  the 
throne,  wild  and  bold  ideas  were  ever  coursing 
through  his  brain. 

Once,  when  sailing  in  the  Adriatic  with  the 
squadron,  he  despatched  me  on  a  secret  mission 
to  the  brave,  warlike  Montenegros.  This  was  in 
the  year  1773.  The  scouts  made  all  arrange- 
ments wisely  and  adroitly ;  and  at  night,  taking 
with  me  what  I  required  on  shore,  I  landed 
with  great  caution,  and  speedily  conducted  my 
business.  But  on  our  return  voyage  we  were 
sighted  and  pursued  by  the  Turkish  coastguards. 
We  succeeded  in  defending  ourselves  for  a  con- 
siderable time  ;  but  in  the  end  our  sailors  were 
all  killed,  while  I,  severely  wounded  in  the 
shoulder,  lay  unconscious  at  the  bottom   of  the 


MADE   PRISONER.  5 

boat,  where  I  was  found,  and  whence  I  was  re- 
moved, a  prisoner,  to  Stamboul. 

I  was  disguised  in  a  national  Albanian  costume. 
Nevertheless,  my  captors  discovered  that  I  be- 
longed to  the  Russian  navy,  and,  at  first,  think- 
ing no  doubt  that  they  would  receive  a  good 
ransom  for  me,  paid  me  great  attention.  Ah  ! 
thought  I,  as  soon  as  they  find  out  that  their 
prisoner  is  no  other  than  Lieutenant  Konsov, 
who  threw  the  first  fire-ball  which  caused  the 
explosion  and  destruction  of  their  staff  ship  at 
Chesma,  what  will  my  lot  be  then  ? 


CHAPTER   II. 

MY  IMPRISONMENT. 

My  imprisonment  lasted  for  about  two  years, 
coming  to  an  end  in  the  year  1775. 

At  first  I  was  kept  shut  up  in  one  of  the  wings 
of  a  seven-towered  castle,  but  afterwards  I  was 
chained  and  confined  in  one  of  the  three  hundred 
mecheti  (mosques)  of  Stamboul.  I  don't  know 
whether  at  last,  by  some  means,  the  Turks 
learned  that  one  of  their  prisoners  was  Konsov, 
or  whether,  having  lost  all  hopes  of  a  ransom, 
they  resolved  to  take  advantage  of  my  knowledge 
and  abilities ;  but  this  I  know,  they  tried  to  con- 
vert me  to  Mohammedanism. 

The  mosque  in  which  I  was  imprisoned  is 
situated  on  the  shores  of  the  Bosphorus,  and 
through  my  window-grating  I  could  watch  the 
blue  sea  and  the  vessels  sailing  to  and  fro.  The 
mulla  who  came  to  visit  me  was  of  Sclavonic 
origin ;  he  was  a  Bulgarian  from  Gabrova.  We 
therefore  understood  one   another  without  much 

G 


THE  MULLA'S   TACTICS.  7 

difficulty.1  My  visitor  set  to  work  in  a  round- 
about way  to  convert  me  to  the  Turkish  faith. 
He  praised  the  Turkish  people,  their  customs 
and  morals,  and  extolled  the  power  and  glory 
of  the  Sultan.  At  first,  though  very  indignant 
at  all  this,  I  kept  silence,  but  at  last  I  began  to 
contradict.  Thereupon,  in  order  to  gain  my  con- 
fidence in  himself  and  his  faith,  he  obtained  as  a 
first  step  permission  for  my  removal  to  a  more 
comfortable  cell,  and  for  my  being  provided  with 
better  food.  Accordingly  I  was  transferred  to 
the  ground  floor  of  the  mosque,  part  of  which 
the  mulla  himself  inhabited,  and  was  allowed 
tobacco  and  all  sorts  of  sweetmeats  and  wine. 
Still,  notwithstanding  all  this,  my  chains  were 
left  on  me.  My  teacher  (himself  a  renegade), 
according  to  the  law  of  Mohammed,  could  not 
drink  wine,  but  he  enticed  and  tempted  me  to. 
"  Turn  Islamist,"  he  would  say,  "  and  then  how 
happy  you  will  be :  your  chains  will  at  once  fall 
off  you.  And  see  how  many  ships  there  are  :  yon 
may  enter  the  Turkish  service  on  one  of  them, 
and  in  time  become  one  of  our  captains  !  " 

I  lay  on  my  mat  without  touching  any  of  the 


1  The  Bulgarian  language  is  similar  to  the  Russian,  being" 
a  Sclavonic  dialect. 


8  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

tempting  viands,  and  scarcely  hearing  a  word 
that  my  tempter  said,  for  my  mind  was  filled 
with  thoughts  of  my  native  land.  I  murmured 
the  names  of  my  friends  and  of  all  dear  to  me, 
and  pondered  over  my  lost  happiness.  My  heart 
was  breaking,  my  soul  was  torn  with  uncertainty 
and  grief.  Ah  !  how  well  I  remember  those  sad 
hours,  filled  with  such  sorrowful  musings  ! 

As  I  now  recollect,  my  thoughts  then  wandered 
to  the  far-off  village,  my  native  Konsovka.  I 
was  an  orphan,  and  already  had  obtained  my 
commission.  From  the  training  college  I  had 
come  straight  to  the  house  of  my  grandmother, 
whose  name  was  Agraffena  Konsova.  Not  far 
from  us,  in  the  town  of  Baturin,  lived  Eakitin, 
a  retired  brigadier,  a  widower,  whose  estates  in 
the  country  adjoined  ours.  Leff  Hieraclieovitch1 
had  one  daughter,  Irena  Lvovna.  To  tell  all 
briefly,  what  with  going  to  the  church  of  Eakitin, 
visiting;  Irena  at  her  father's  halls,  and  our 
secret  meetings  and  walks  together,  we  fell  in 
love  with  one  another.  My  love  for  Irena  was 
passionate    and   unrestrained.     With    her    dusky 

1  The  Russians  have  no  "  Mr.,"  "  Mrs."  or  "  Miss  "  before 
names.  They  use  the  patronymic,  which  consists  in  adding 
vitch,  for  the  masculine,  and  vna,  for  the  feminine,  to  the 
name  of  the  father,  with  sometimes  a  contraction. 


IRENA.  9 

skin  and  luxurious  black  hair,  she  was  charming. 
She  was  my  life,  my  idol,  to  whom  I  offered 
prayers  night  and  day.  We  confessed  our  love, 
and  day  by  day  became  dearer  to  each  other. 
Ah !  those  moments,  those  meetings,  those  vows  ! 

We  began  to  send  each  other  love  letters,  full 
of  passionate  avowals  of  love.  I  was  always 
fond  of  music,  and  Irena  used  to  play  enchant- 
ingly  upon  the  clavichord,  and  would  sing  in  a 
lovely  voice  pieces  from  Grliick,  Bach,  and  Handel. 
We  met  often.  In  this  way  the  summer  passed. 
Ah  !  dear  and  never-to-be-forgotten  days  ! 

Unfortunately,  one  of  my  letters  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Irena' s  father.  Was  Rakitin  too  stern 
with  his  daughter,  or  did  he  talk  her  over,  and 
so  persuade  her  to  give  me  up,  to  change  me  for 
another  ?  .  .  .  I  know  not ;  it  is  all  too 
painful  for  me  even  to  try  to  remember. 

It  was  autumn,  and,  as  I  well  recollect,  a 
praznik  (holiday) ;  we  were  preparing  for  church, 
when  suddenly  we  heard  a  carriage  drive 
into  our  yard.  A  footman  in  splendid  livery 
came  forward,  and  placed  in  my  grandmother's 
hands  a  packet  which  he  had  brought  for  her. 
My  heart  throbbed  ;  my  presentiments  were  ful- 
filled :  Irena' s  father  had  sent  a  firm  and  decided 
refusal  to  my  suit. 


io  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

Matushka1  Ageaffena  Ylassovna, — 


a 


"Your  Pavel  Efstafevitcli2  is  worthy  in  every 
way,  but  lie  is  not  a  fit  husband  for  my  daughter ; 
and  it  is  useless  for  him  to  send  love  letters  to 
her.  Let  him  not  be  offended ;  we  always  were 
and  always  shall  be  friends.  My  earnest  hope 
is  that  your  godson  and  grandchild  may  find 
another  bride,  a  hundred  times  more  suitable 
than  my  daughter." 

That  letter  moved  me  deeply.  The  light  of 
heaven  seemed  extinguished  :  all  that  was  dearest 
to  me  was  lost ;  all  my  happiness  ruined. 

Proud,  rich,  and  related  to  the  Razoumovskis, 
Rakitin  mercilessly  scorned  the  poor  suitor,  who 
also  was  of  noble  blood ;  yea,  of  nobler  blood 
perhaps  than  Rakitin' s  own.  His  pride  in  his 
distinguished  relatives,  who  had  been  favour- 
ites  of  the  late  empress,  had  hardened  his  heart. 
Often  had  I  heard  Irena  addressed  by  her  father 
as  the  future  Fraulein  (maid  of  honour). 

"  God  forgive  him !  "  I  repeated,  like  one  who 
had  lost  his  senses,  as  I  strode  up  and  down  the 
rooms  which  once  I  had  loved  so  much,  but  which 


1  Little  mother, — a  caressing  term. 

2  Pavel  the  son  of  Ei'staffi  (see  note  on  page  8). 


DESPAIR.  1 1 

now  seemed  to  me  so  lonely.  The  clay  had  been 
very  cloudy,  with  occasional  showers  of  rain.  I 
ordered  my  horse  to  be  saddled,  and,  in  my  de- 
spair, rode  off  to  the  steppes.  I  did  not  draw 
rein  until  I  reached  the  borders  of  the  forest 
which  surrounded  the  estate  of  Rakitin.  There 
I  wandered  through  the  brushwood  like  a  mad- 
man.  The  wind  whistled  through  the  trees  and 
swept  over  the  bare  fields.  As  night  came  on,  I 
fastened  my  horse  to  a  tree,  and,  leaving  the 
forest,  made  my  way  through  the  garden  to  the 
window  of  Irena's  room.  Ah !  what  I  felt  at 
that  moment !  I  remember,  it  seemed  to  me  that 
I  had  only  to  call  her,  and  she  would  throw  her- 
self into  my  arms,  and  we  would  go  together  to  the 
end  of  the  world.  Fool  that  I  was  !  I  hoped  to 
see  her,  to  exchange  thoughts  with,  her,  to  pour 
out  my  heart,  so  full  of  bitter  pain.  "  Leave 
your  father  !  leave  him  !  '  I  whispered,  gazing  in 
at  her  window.  "  He  does  not  pity  you  ;  he  does 
not  love  you."  But  I  pleaded  in  vain  :  her  win- 
dow was  dark,  and  nowhere  in  all  the  silent  house 
could  I  hear  one  word  or  see  one  sio*n  of  life. 
On  the  following  nio*ht  I  aofain  went  through  the 
garden,  and  watched  the  well-known  window, 
through  which  Irena  had  often  oiven  me  her 
hand  or    thrown    me    a  letter.      Would   she  not 


12  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

look  out  ?  would  slie  not  give  me  some  message  ? 
One  night,  after  sending  her  a  note,  to  which  I 
received  no  answer,  I  even  determined  to  kill 
myself  before  her  window,  and  took  my  pistol  in 
my  hand. 

"  But  no,"  I  decided.  "  Why  such  a  sacrifice  ? 
Perhaps  Irena  has  already  bartered  me  for  a 
richer  suitor.  Wait  a  little ;  I  may  find  out  who 
the  happy  rival  is."  Afterwards,  but  too  late,  I 
learned  that  Rakitin,  after  writing  his  refusal  of 
me,  had  carried  his  daughter  off  to  a  distant 
property  owned  by  one  of  his  relations,  somewhere 
on  the  Oka,  and  was  keeping  her  there  in  strict 
confinement. 


CHAPTER   III. 

IMPORTANT    NEWS. 

My  grandmother  was  not  less  struck  by  this 
than  I.  One  day,  about  a  week  later,  calling  me 
to  her,  she  said  :  "  You  have  guessed  who  your 
rival  is  ?  One  distantly  related  to  the  Rakitins ; 
a  prince  and  Kammerherr  (gentleman  of  the 
chamber).  I  have  found  out,  Pavelinka,  that 
they  sent  for  him  on  purpose,  and  that  he  was 
visiting  them  all  the  time  you  were  looking  for 
her,  and  that  it  was  he  who  helped  them  to  carry 
lier  off  without  leaving  any  trace.  Forget  her, 
mon  ange,  forget  Irena ;  for  no  doubt  she 
resembles  her  father  in  his  pride.  Console  your- 
self.    God  will  send  you  a  better  wife." 

I  felt  angry  and  petulant.  "  My  grandmother 
is  right,"  I  said;  and  there  and  then  I  determined 
to  strive  to  forget  everything.  If  Irena  had  had 
any  heart,  she  would  have  found  some  opportunity 
of  writing  me  a  line  and  sending  it.  I  remember 
especially  how  one  night  I  found  amongst  some 

13 


14  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

papers  a  hymn  from  "  Iphigenia,"  one  of  Grliick's 

operas  not  yet  produced  in  Russia,  which   I  had 

obtained  with  great  difficulty  from  an   amateur 

musician  for  Irena,  but  which  I  had  been  unable 

to  give  to  her.     With  tears  in  my  eyes  I  burnt  it. 

After  long  days  of  sorrowful  despair,  I  decided 

to  leave  my  birthplace.       The  parting  with  my 

grandmother  was   very  touching,  for  we  both  felt 

that  we  should  never  meet  again. 

***** 

Aeraffena  Vlassovna,  during  her  retreat  in  a 
neighbouring  convent,  took  cold,  and  after  a 
short  illness,  died.  I  was  left  alone  in  the  world, 
like  a  forgotten  blade  of  grass  in  a  field. 

Having  left  Konsovka,  I  wandered  for  some  time 
about  Moscow,  where  I  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Count  Orloff.  Thence  I  went  to  Petersburg,  and 
tried  to  get  some  information  concerning  the 
Rakitins,  who  were  still  living  on  the  Oka. 
Always  hoping  to  get  news  of  my  faithless" 
Irena,  I  made  many  inquiries ;  but  no  one  could 
tell  me  what  I  wanted  to  know.  My  furlough 
was  not  yet  ended  ;  I  was  free.  But  what  was  left 
in  the  world  for  me  ?  What  could  I  do  ?  What 
could  I  undertake  ?  Meanwhile,  from  the  south, 
from  over  the  water,  came  news  that  was  on 
every  one's  lips.       It  was  the  beginning  of   the 


THE  MULL  A    PERSISTENT.  15 

Turkish  war.  A  happy  idea  flashed  through  my 
mind.  I  applied  to  the  Board  of  Admiralty,  and 
begged  to  be  transferred  to  the  squadron  then 
sailing  in  Grecian  waters.  Count  Feodor  Orloff 
helped  me  very  much  by  giving  me  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  Count  Alexis,  who  was  at  that 
time  admiral  of  the  fleet  in  the  Mediterranean 
Sea.  How  I  came  there  and  what  I  went  through, 
it  would  be  useless  to  relate.  Always  repeating 
the  name  that  once  was  so  dear  to  me,  I  threw 
myself  into  every  danger.  I  courted  death  at 
Spezzia,  at  Navarino,  and  at  Chesma.  "  Irisha  ! 
Irisha ! *  what  have  you  done  with  me  !  0  my 
Grod !  put  an  end  to  my  life  !  "  I  cried.  But  death 
did  not  come.  Instead  of  beins:  killed,  I  was 
taken  prisoner  soon  after  the  glorious  battle  of 
Chesma,  and  left  in  dreary  captivity  in  Stamboul ! 

^IC  "5^  ^K  ■5JC  ^F 

The  mulla  who  visited  me  became  more  and 
more  friendly,  but  also  more  and  more  persistent. 
We  met  every  day,  and  had  long  conversations 
together.  Sometimes  he  made  me  very  angry, 
even  mad,  I  might  say;  but  at  other  times  he 
amused  me.  Then  sometimes  I  would  entice  him, 
for  company's  sake,  to  defy  the  command  of 
the  prophet,  which,  perhaps,  a  minute   before  he 

1  Pet  name  for  Irena. 


1 6  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

had  been  teaching  me  with  much,  fervour,  by 
taking  a  glass  of  wine  with  me  ;  and  would  pour 
the  wine  out  for  him  myself.  My  teacher  could 
do  nothing,  of  course,  but  try  to  please  me,  and 
so  very  heartily  began  to  partake  of  the  wines  of 
Kioska,  and  others  which  he  used  to  brings  me. 
Our  meetings  continued.  We  talked  sometimes 
of  the  Orient,  of  Russia,  and  many  other  things. 

One  evening — it  must  have  been  about  the 
middle  of  the  year  1774 — at  the  time  when  the 
Muezzin1  from  the  high  tower  bes^an  the  call  to 
evening  prayer,  my  teacher,  with  an  air  of  great 
mystery,  and  not  without  showing  some  wicked 
pleasure,  asked  me  whether  I  knew  that  there 
had  appeared  in  Italy  a  very  powerful  aspirant  to 
the  Russian  crown,  a  dangerous  rival  to  the  then 
reigning  Empress  Ekaterina.  I  was  very  much 
astonished  at  the  news,  and  for  some  time  was 
unable  to  speak.  The  mulla  again  related  his 
story,  and  on  my  asking  who  the  impostor  was 
he  answered,  "  A  secret  daughter  of  the  late 
Empress  Elizabeth  Petrowna."  "  That  is  all 
nonsense  and  stupid  gossip  of  your  bazaars  !  " — 
The  mulla  was  much  offended  ;  his  eyes  sparkled 
with  passion.     "  No,  not  gossip,"   he  exclaimed, 

1  The  man  who  cries  the  hour  for  prayer  from  one  of  the 
mosque  towers. 


THE  NEWS  DISTURBS  ME.  17 

as  lie  took  from  under  Lis  robe  a  crumpled  piece 
of  one  of  the  newspapers  of  Utrecht.  "  You  had 
best  be  thinking  of  what  awaits  your  native 
land." 

My  heart,  which  was  beating  so  loyally  for  the 
great  empress  then  ruling  over  us,  suddenly  sank. 
I  read  the  newspaper,  and  became  convinced 
that  the  mulla  was  right.  In  Paris  first,  then  in 
Germany,  and  afterwards  in  Venice,  a  person  had 
appeared  calling  herself  "  Elizabeth,  Princess  of 
all  the  Russias."  At  the  time  of  writing,  this 
adventuress  was  preparing  to  go  to  the  Sultan, 
to  ask  him  to  aid  her  with  an  army  then  en- 
camped on  the  banks  of  the  Danube  in  enforcing 
her  claims.  The  mulla  remained  with  me  a  little 
longer,  and  then  went  out,  casting  a  side  glance 
at  me  as  he  left  the  room.  The  neAvs  which  I 
had  just  heard  troubled  me  very  much.  "  How 
so  ?  "  thought  I.  "  Is  it  not  enough  that  fate  sent 
us  the  horrible  insurrection  of  Pougacholf  ?  '  of 
which  I  heard  in  my  prison,  "and  then  the  Turks? 
Are  we  now  to  be  troubled  with  this  pretender  ? 
The  former  burnt  and  desolated  the  whole  Po- 
Volga;1  this  one  wants  to  disturb  the  whole  of 
the  south."  I  was  quite  beside  myself,  and 
strode  from  corner  to  corner  of  my  cell.  In  my 
1  The  banks  on  either  side  of  the  Volga. 


i8  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

anger,  I  went  up  to  my  window,  seized  hold  of 
the  grating,  and  shook  it  with  all  my  might.  I 
was  ready  to  tear  it  with  my  teeth.  "  Oh  !  for 
wino's  !  for  winces  !  "  I  cried  to  God.  I  would  have 
flown  to  the  fleet,  told  them  everything,  and 
warned  Orion0,  who  was  so  devoted  to  the 
empress.  .  .  .  My  prayers  were  answered  in  a 
most  marvellous  manner.  Never  shall  I  forget 
it,  though  I  live  for  a  century. 

Devising  a  hundred  plans  for  escape,  my  first 
idea  was  to  prepare  some  kind  of  key  to  loosen 
my  chains.  On  an  earthenware  pot  I  succeeded 
in  sharpening  part  of  an  old  nail  (upon  which  I 
used  to  hang  my  clothes,  and  which  I  had  taken 
from  the  wall),  and,  after  much  painstaking, 
fashioned  it  into  a  key.  It  is  impossible  to 
describe  my  joy  when,  for  the  first  night,  I  took 
off  my  chains  and  went  to  bed  without  them. 
Next  morning  I  again  fettered  myself,  and  care- 
fully hid  the  key  in  a  crevice  in  the  wall.  My 
plan  was  this  : — after  having  very  quickly 
loosened  my  chains,  I  would  kill  the  renegade 
mulla  with  them,  and  run  away  from  the  prison 
without  being  seen.  But  where  ?  Thus  I  planned  ; 
but  God,  who  holds  our  hearts  in  His  hand,  de- 
livered me  from  this  sin.  The  mulla  continued 
to  visit  me  and  to  drink  the  wine,  which  through 


/  EFFECT  MY  ESCAPE.  19 

his  intercession  had  been  provided  for  me  in 
abundance.  At  last  my  chance  came.  Having 
chosen  an  evening,  I  decided  upon  telling  the 
mulla  that,  convinced  by  his  wise  teaching,  I  had 
resolved  to  embrace  the  Mohammedan  faith.  He 
was  transported  with  delight,  and  in  his  joy  par- 
took so  heartily  of  the  wine  as  to  become  intoxi- 
cated and  begin  to  doze.  I  kept  refilling  his 
glass.  "  No,"  he  repeated  continually,  "  I  cannot. 
I  shall  miss  the  prayers ;  I  shall  be  denounced." 
But  I  again  filled  the  glass,  and  he,  blinking  at 
me  knowingly,  again  emptied  it,  threw  himself 
on  the  floor,  and  beginning''  to  hum  a  Bulo-arian 
song,  was  soon  fast  asleep.  We  were  both  about 
the  same  height;  my  beard,  which  during  my 
imprisonment  had  grown  very  long,  only  differed 
from  his  by  being  of  a  slightly  lighter  colour. 

"  Oh  !  good  Grod  !  is  it  possible,"  thought  I,  with 
a  thrill  of  joy,  "  that  this  is  liberty  at  last?  : 

Drawing  the  enormous  white  turban  over  my 
eyes,  I  devoutly  bowed  my  head,  and  with  silent 
footsteps  and  the  rosary  in  my  hand,  as  if  repeating 
a  prayer,  I  slowly  left  the  prison,  and  crossed  the 
courtyard.  The  sentinels  at  the  porches  and  the 
gates  of  the  mosque  were  walking  silently  back- 
wards  and  forwards  with  their  muskets  ;  but  as 
they  did  not  recognise  me  I  escaped  detention. 


20  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

For  some  time  the  noise  of  the  street  confused 
me ;  I  quite  lost  my  senses.  But  I  quickly  re- 
covered myself,  and  hastening  my  steps,  soon 
reached  the  sea- shore.  I  signalled  to  one  of  the 
boatmen,  took  my  place  in  the  first  little  boat  that 
approached  me,  and,  bowing  still  lower,  motioned 
to  the  boatman  to  row  me  to  one  of  the  nearest 
ships.  It  was  a  foreign  one,  as  I  had  already 
remarked  from  my  windows.  I  saw  now  that  it 
was  a  French  schooner,  quite  ready  to  sail,  as  I 
could  tell  by  her  flag. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

I  SEE   THE  PRINCESS. 

A  dark,  handsome,  spirited  Frenchman,  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  schooner,  soon  showed  me 
that  he  was  a  worthy  subject  of  the  nation  to 
which  he  belonged.  Seeing  in  me  a  Russian 
sailor,  he  looked  at  me,  was  silent  a  moment,  and 
then  whispered,  "  Are  yon  Konsov  ?  " 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  r  "  I  asked,  not 
without  some  trepidation. 

"  Oh  !  how  glad  I  should  be  if  it  were  so  ! '  he 
answered,  "for  we  all  pity  brave  Konsov  very 
much,  and  constantly  ask  after  him.  I  should  be 
very  happy  to  be  of  any  service  to  him." 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done ;  and  I  con- 
cluded it  was  better  to  reveal  myself.  The 
captain  was  overjoyed  ;  he  conducted  me  to  his 
own  cabin,  and  at  once  promised  to  pay  the  boat- 
man ;  whom,  however,  for  safety's  sake,  he  first 
ordered  to  be  hoisted  on  deck  with  the  boat. 
The    sails  were  then    unfurled,   and  the   anchor 


22  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

weighed.  It  was  night  when  the  schooner  set 
sail,  and  by  morning  we  had  left  Stamboul  far 
behind  us.  The  mulla  must  have  slept  soundly 
and  long,  for  we  were  not  pursued.  My  boatman, 
who  was  sent  back  from  one  of  the  villages  we 
passed,  having  received  all  that  had  been  promised 
him,  and  the  mulla's  clothes  in  which  I  had  es- 
caped into  the  bargain,  was  only  too  glad  to  hold 
his  tongue.  The  French  officers  gave  me  proper 
clothing,  and  generously  furnished,  me  with  a  sum 
of  money,  to  which  all  had  subscribed.  They 
politely  offered  to  put  me  on  board  the  first 
Russian  vessel  we  should  meet  in  the  Italian 
seas. 

Meanwhile,  I  heard  from  the  captain  that  the 
mysterious  Russian  Princess  was  no  longer  in 
Venice,  but  was  now  at  Ragusa,  past  which  town 
we  should  have  to  sail.  I  asked  to  be  put  on 
shore,  but  the  French  officers  did  all  they  could 
to  dissuade  me,  pointing  out  the  risk  I  should  run 
in  beins^  a^ain  so  near  the  Turks.  This  counsel 
had  no  effect  on  me ;  I  insisted  on  landing. 

After  having  thanked  my  generous  preservers 
(who  even  refused  to  take  my  signature  for  their 
loan),  I  soon  set  foot  on  the  shores  of  the  republic 
of  Ragusa,  where  I  obtained  information  concern- 
ing the  lady  who  so  deeply  interested  me. 


/  LAND  AT  RAGUSA.  23 

This  mysterious  Princess  had  already  conquered 
the  hearts  of  half  the  inhabitants  of  the  town. 
Much  talk  was  going  on.  I  found  a  great  many 
Poles  and  persons  of  different  nationalities  at  the 
hotel  I  had  chosen,  who  formed  part  of  the  Prin- 
cess's retinue.  All  these  personages  fought  shy 
of  me  at  first,  and  showed  great  distrust,  but  on 
learning  who  I  was,  and  that,  in  my  joy  at  my 
miraculous  preservation,  I  wished  to  go  immedi- 
ately on  board  the  squadron  of  Count  Orloff,  they 
ceased  to  fear  me,  and  Avithout  reserve  began  to 
tell  me  all  about  the  Princess.  They  even  offered 
to  procure  me  an  audience,  if  I  wished  it.  "But 
who  is  she?  and  where  has  she  lived  until  now?" 
I  asked  some  of  her  folloAvers. 

"  She  is  the  daughter  of  your  late  Empress 
Elizabeth,  by  a  secret  marriage  with  Count 
Razoumovski,"  was  the  answer.  "  In  her  child- 
hood she  was  carried  to  the  frontiers  of  Persia, 
and  has  since,  under  different  assumed  names, 
lived  at  Kiel,  Berlin,  London,  and  many  other 
places.  In  Paris  she  was  Dame  D'Azov,  and  in 
Germany  and  here  in  Ragusa  she  bears  the  title 
of  the  Countess  of  Pinneberg.  German  princes 
and  others  have  wooed  her,  the  French  Court 
assigned  her  apartments  at  their  consul's,  and 
were  quite  ready  to  give  her  aid  and  protection." 


24  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

All  this  troubled  me  greatly.  "  Kiel !  IJerlin  !" 
thought  I.  "  Kiel  is  in  Holstein.  It  played  a  most 
important  part  in  the  history  of  Anna  and  El iza- 
beth,  the  daughters  of  Peter  the  Great.  Is  it 
possible  that  in  Petersburg  no  importance  is 
attached  to  all  this  ?  What  will  be  done  when  all 
is  known  about  this  aspirant  to  the  throne  ?  " 

The  Poles  then  offered  to  take  me  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  Countess  of  Pinneberg.  I  dressed 
myself, trimmed  my  moustache  and  beard  properly, 
and  powdered,  perfumed,  and  curled  my  hair.  I 
met  with  every  attention  at  the  house  of  the 
Countess.  The  Hofmarshall,  Baron  Korf,  led 
me  into  the  reception  room.  I  looked  about  me, 
and  noticed  that  the  walls  were  tapestried  with 
blue  silk  brocade,  and  that  the  furniture  was 
upholstered  in  pink  satin.  All  at  once  I  heard 
steps  and  a  gay  voice. 

The  Princess  Elizabeth  entered  the  room, 
surrounded  by  a  brilliant  retinue.  I  learned 
afterwards  who  these  were.  Her  very  devoted 
friend,  the  celebrated  Prince  Radzivill,  in  a  blue 
velvet  Icaftan1  literally  blazing  with  diamonds; 
near  him  his  sister,  the  beautiful  Countess  of 
Moravia,  and  the  Princess  Sangoushko.  After 
these  came  Count  Pototski,  in  a  beautiful  red 
1  A  Persian  garment  worn  }>y  Russian  m<  a. 


/  HAVE  AN  AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  PRINCESS.    25 

kountouslca,1  all  embroidered  with  gold.  The 
count  was  then  at  the  head  of  the  Polish  confed- 
eration, our  enemy.  Next  came  the  proud  and 
rich  Starosta  Pinski,  Count  Prgezdetski,  and  near 
him  stood  the  influential  young  confederate,  the 
famous  duellist,  Oharnomski,  with  several  of 
Radzivill's  officers.  Pototski  and  Prgezdetski 
wore  ribbons  and  stars.  I  noticed  that  the  Prin- 
cess was  dressed  in  an  amazon  of  yellow  silk, 
with  gold  embroidery,  and  that  it  was  covered 
with  black  ffauze  :  that  she  wore  a  small  white 
hat  with  black  ostrich  feathers,  and  a  pink 
mantle  trimmed  with  blonde,  and  that  at  her  belt 
were  a  pair  of  very  small  pistolettes  of  magnifi- 
cent workmanship.  She  held  a  riding- whip  in 
her  hand,  for  she  was  just  going  to  start  for  a 
ride  on  horseback.  The  proud  Polish  magnates 
addressed  the  Princess  as  "  Altesse,"  and  when 
she  sat  down,  remained  standing;  and  in  answer- 
ing her  questions  bowed  so  low  that  they  almost 
seemed  to  be  kneeling. 

I  must  confess  that  the  Princess  greatly  im- 
pressed me.  1  saw  before  me  a  beauty  of  the 
first  order,  between  twenty-three  and  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  taller  than  the  generality  of 
people,     graceful,    slender,    with    lovely    auburn 

1  A  Polish  garment. 


26  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Lair,  a  very  fair  skin,  beautiful  pink  cheeks,  and 
a  few  freckles,  which  rather  suited  her  style  of 
beauty.  Her  eyes  were  hazel,  very  large  and 
open  ;  one  of  them  rather  squinted,  and  thus  gave 
her  an  arch  and  playful  look.  But,  what  was 
far  more  important,  as  a  child,  and  later  on  as  a 
youth,  I  had  often  looked  upon  the  portraits  of 
the  late  Empress  Elizabeth ;  and  now  on  examin- 
ing the  Princess  closely  I  was  struck  by  the  like- 
ness to  them. 

The  Princess  noticed  my  confusion  with  evi- 
dent pleasure.  Saying  a  few  gracious  words  to 
me  in  French,  she  gave  me  her  hand  to  kiss, 
and  having  received  me  with  all  the  ceremony 
etiquette  exacted,  with  a  look  dismissed  her 
retinue,  and  motioned  me  to  a  chair.  We  were 
alone. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

MY  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  PRINCESS. 

Aftek  having  exchanged  a  few  phrases — we 
spoke  French,  but  I  noticed  that  the  Princess  let 
fall  many  Italian  exclamations — we  both  fell  into 
a  most  awkward  silence. 

"  You  are  a  Russian  officer — a  sailor  ?  ' '  asked 
the  Princess. 

"  Just  so — Your — Serene  Highness,"  I  an- 
swered, hesitating  a  little,  not  knowing  how  to 
address  her. 

"  I  know  that  you  have  highly  distinguished 
yourself.  Your  name  made  a  noise  in  the  world 
after  Chesma,"  she  continued;  "and  to  crown  all, 
you  have  suffered  a  long  imprisonment." 

I  was  greatly  agitated,  and  remained  silent ; 
she  also  paused.  At  last  she  began  again,  and 
even  though  so  many  years  have  elapsed,  I  seem 
to  hear  that  low,  charming  contralto  voice  of 
hers, — 

"  Listen," — said  she.  "  I  am  a  Russian  princess, 

27 


28  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

the  daughter  of  your  once  beloved  empress.  It 
is  true,  is  it  not,  that  my  mother,  the  daughter 
of  Peter  the  Great,  was  much  loved  ?  I,  both 
by  blood  and  by  her  testament,  am  her  only 
heiress." 

"Yes.  But  you  know,"  I  at  last  ventured  to 
say,  "  that  there  now  reigns  the  no  less  beloved 
Empress  Ekaterina  the  Great." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  interrupted  the  Princess, 
"  how  all  powerful  and  idolized  by  her  people  the 
present  empress  is ;  and  it  is  not  for  me — poor, 
weak,  and  abandoned  by  all,  torn  from  the 
Imperial  house,  and  from  the  land  of  my  birth — 
to  try  to  dispute  the  throne  with  her.  I  am  the 
most  devoted  of  her  slaves." 

"  Then  what  are  you  seeking  ?  what  are  you 
expecting  ?  "  I  asked  with  astonishment. 

"  Protection,  and  that  my  rights  may  be  re- 
spected." 

"  Excuse  me,"  I  returned  ;  "but  you  must  first 
prove  your  birth  and  your  rights." 

"  I  have  the  proofs  here,"  the  Princess  replied ; 
and,  hastily  rising,  she  opened  the  drawer  of  a 
Buhl  side-table,  with  silver  incrustations.  "  Here 
is  the  testament  of  my  grandfather,  Peter  I.,  and 
this  one  is  my  mother's,  Elizabeth's." 

The   Princess  tendered  me   a  French    version 


THE  INTERVIEW.  29 

of  the  papers  mentioned.  I  looked  tliem  over 
hastily. 

"  But  these  are  only  copies,"  said  I ;  "  mere 
translations." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  but  make  your  mind  easy :  the 
originals  are  in  safe  hands.  .  .  .  How  would  it 
be  possible  to  carry  such  important  documents 
about  with  me;  the  risk  would  be  too  great," 
answered  the  Princess,  turning  her  head  a  little 
from  me.  Then  she  moved  to  the  other  side 
of  the  room,  where,  in  heavy  gilt  frames,  hung 
two  oil  paintings  :  one  a  remarkably  good  copy 
of  the  portrait  of  the  late  EmjDress  Elizabeth 
Petrowna,  with  a  small  crown  upon  her  head ; 
the  other  that  of  the  Princess  iioav  standing: 
before  me. 

"  Do  you  see  the  likeness  ? '  she  said,  looking 
at  me. 

"  Well,  yes,  there  is  a  likeness.  I  noticed  it  as 
soon  as  I  came  in,"  I  answered.  "  Allow  me  to 
ask  how  long  ago  that  portrait  was  taken  ?  " 

"  This  very  year,  at  Venice.  .  .  .  The  cele- 
brated Piacetti  painted  my  intended  bridegroom's 
portrait,  the  Prince  Radzivill's,  and  begged  to 
be  allowed  to  paint  mine  at  the  same  time." 

"  Mysterious  coincidence  !  !  I  exclaimed,  with 
uncontrollable  agitation ;  "  we  see  things  past  all 


30  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

imagining.  The  dead  rise  out  of  their  graves. 
There  beyond  the  Volga  the  Emperor  Peter  III., 
buried  in  the  face  of  all  the  nation  ;  l  here,  un- 
expected, undivined,  the  daughter  of  the  Empress 
Elizabeth." 

"  Do  not,  if  you  please,  confound  me  with 
Pougachoff,"  answered  the  Princess,  slightly  red- 
dening ;  "  although  he  gives  himself  out  as  the 
Emperor,  coins  his  money  with  the  legend  Rerfi- 
vivus  et  Vltor  (the  risen  Avenger),  still,  as  yet,  he 
is  only  my  lord-lieutenant  in  that  part  of  the 
country." 

"  How  so  ? "  I  answered,  quite  astonished. 
"  Then  you  also  confess  that  he  is  an  impostor  ? ' 

"  Do  not  ask  who  he  is,"  mysteriously  answered 
the  Princess ;  "  afterwards  you  shall  learn  all ; 
the  time  has  not  yet  come.  He  has  already  con- 
quered many  towns — Kasan,  Orenburg,  Saratov — 
and  all  the  shores  of  the  Volga.  I  know  nothing 
of   his   past.     Let   God   be  his    judge;  but  I — I 

1  Seven  days  after  the  accession  to  the  throne  of  Ekaterina 
II.  her  husband,  Peter  III.,  died,  it  is  supposed,  a  violent 
death.  Some  time  after  a  simple  Cossack,  named  Pouga- 
choff, an  escaped  convict  from  the  mines  of  Siberia  (whose 
torn  nostrils  showed  that  his  crime  had  been  murder),  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  the  whole  of  the  Urals  (such  was  the 
credulity  of  Russians  at  that  time)  by  giving  himself  out  as 
Peter  III. 


IVAN  SHOUVALOFF.  31 

am  really  and  truly  the  daughter  of  the  Empress 
Elizabeth,  and  cousin  to  the  Emperor  Peter  III." 

"But  who   was  your  father  ? '    I  ventured  to 
ask. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  do  not  guess  ?"  she  an- 
swered, slightly  frowning.  "  Alexis  Razoumovski, 
who  was  married  secretly  to  my  mother.  My 
childhood  I  passed  travelling  from  one  place  to 
another ;  but  it  is  quite  indistinct  even  to  me. 
I  remember  a  retired  little  village  in  the  South 
of  Russia,  from  which  I  was  carried  off.  They 
would,  if  they  could,  have  effaced  from  my  mind 
every  remembrance  of  the  past ;  and  to  that  end 
they  lavished  money  upon  me  and  took  me 
about  from  place  to  place.  Count  Shouvaloff,  ap- 
parently, was  acquainted  with  the  circumstances. 
Not  long  ago,  when  travelling  in  Europe,  he 
expressed  the  wish  to  see  me,  and  we  met  se- 
cretly." 

"  What !  you  saw  the  Count  Shouvaloff  ? 
Where  ?  '  I  exclaimed,  amazed,  as  I  recollected 
that  not  a  few  people  looked  upon  him  as  her 
father. 

"  I  met  him  at  the  waters  of  Spa.  .  .  .  Friends 
warned  me  of  that  celebrated  Russian  traveller, 
but  I  could  not  refuse  him.  I  found  him  to  be 
an  elderly  person,  rather  stout,  and  bearing  traces 


32  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

of  no  common  beauty.  His  dress  was  most 
costly.  He  came  to  me  under  an  assumed  name, 
and  when  speaking  with  me  sorrowfully  fixed 
his  eyes  upon  me  and  attentively  examined  my 
features.  I  could  see  he  was  very  agitated.  I 
learned  afterwards  that  he  was  my  late  mother's 
favourite,  Ivan  Shouvaloff.  I  really  cannot  tell 
why  he  looked  so  moved.  It  is  not  for  me,  of 
course, — as  you  may  well  understand, — to  say. 
That  secret  my  mother  took  to  her  grave,  with 
many  others;-" 

The  Princess  was  silent ;  I  also. 

"  Whose  protection,  whose  help,  do  you  seek  ?  ' 
I  at  last  ventured  to  ask,  troubled  with  so  many 
impressions. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

TEE  PRINCESS  ASKS  ME  TO  ASSIST  HER. 

The  Princess  locked  the  paper  in  a  casket,  put  it 
away,  took  up  a  fan,  and  again  sitting  down, 
besfan  looking  out  of  the  window. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  help  me  ?  '  she  asked  very 
seriously,  instead  of  answering  my  question. 

I  knew  not  what  to  answer. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  give  me,  should  I  need  it, 
every  help  in  your  power?  " 

"  But  what  sort  of  help  ?  " 

"  Well  now,  you  see,  should  the  Empress 
Ekaterina  be  willing  to  act  conscientiously  and 
without  strife  peacefully  to  divide  the  empire 
with  me," — the  Princess  uttered  this  very  slowly 
and  distinctly, — "  I  am  ready  to  agree  to  any- 
thing in  reason.  I  will  give  up  to  her  the 
north,  with  Petersburg,  all  the  Baltic  provinces, 
and  all  the  province  of  Moscow.  I  shall  retain 
for  myself  the  Caucasus — practically  all  the  south 

— oh !  I  love  the   south — and  part  of  the  west. 

33  D 


34  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Oli !  be  quite  sure  I  shall  respect  a  peaceful 
division.  I  shall  be  quite  satisfied  with  the  ar- 
rangement. I  shall  people  my  dominions ;  I  shall 
arrange  all  in  my  own  Fatherland.  You  will 
see  I  am  a  masteritsa.1  First  of  all,  of  course, 
I  shall  arrange  matters  in  Oukraine  and  Poland. 
Of  course  you  are  from  Oukraine  ? "  she  asked 
me  suddenly,  fixing  her  eyes  on  me ;  "  and  I 
passed  my  childhood  there.  In  case  Ekaterina 
should  not  agree,"  continued  she,  frowning,  "  of 
course,  nothing  remains  for  me  but  to  try  the 
force  of  arms.  I  intend  going  to  Constantinople, 
to  the  Sultan.  He  expects  me.  I  shall  lead  his 
army  on  to  the  Balkans,  and  on  the  borders  of  the 
Danube  shall  meet  the  army  of  Ekaterina.  Then 
I  will  have  my  revenge.  I  shall  find  enough 
people  willing  to  help  me ;  all  the  discontented — 
for  instance,  the  commodore  of  the  fleet, — Orloff ! 
Eh  !  what  do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

((  Orloff  !  "  I  repeated  in  amazement. 

"  Of  course ;  he  himself.  You  are  astonished, 
eh  ? '  answered  the  Princess,  fanning  herself 
and  looking  me  boldly  in  the  face.  "  Yes  ;  what 
do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  Excuse  me,  Your  Grace,  but  I  cannot  help 

1  Lit  "mistress-woman,"  i.e.,  a  clever  manager,  one  quite 
capable  of  conducting  her  affairs. 


THE  PLANS   OF   THE   PRINCESS.  35 

speaking  out  my  earnest  conviction  that  all  this 
is  but  a  child's  dream.  On  what  do  you  found 
your  hopes  of  such — excuse  me  the  expression — 
such  treason  from  the  count  ?  " 

"  Treason !  " — cried  out  the  Princess,  suddenly 
reddening ;  "  but,  of  course,  you  must  be  excused. 
You  were  so  long  a  prisoner,  there  is  a  great- 
deal  for  you  to  learn  " ;  and  she  contemptuously 
smiled,  nervously  playing  with  her  fan.  "  The 
power  and  the  influence  of  the  Orloffs  have 
greatly  fallen  ;  their  sworn  and  hidden  foes,  the 
Pfmins, *  are  now  in  the  ascendency.  The  em- 
press's favourite,  Gregory  Orloif,  allow  me  to  tell 
you,  has  been  already  replaced  by  another  ;  he,  in 
his  anger,  broke  off  the  negotiations  begun  with 
the  Sultan,  and  flew  from  the  banks  of  the 
Danube  to  Petersburg.  But  he  was  not  received 
at  court,  but  exiled  to  Kevel.  Ah  !  you  are 
astonished.  "Well,  learn  still  further.  Your 
chief,  Count  Alexis  Orloif,  his  feelings  as  a 
brother  insulted,  no  longer  hides  his  opinions : 
he  is  ripe  for  revenge ;  and  there  is  no  doubt, 
of  course,  that  he  can  be  very  useful  to  me.  You 
see,  what  news  !  I  have  already  sent  a  letter 
to  the  Count  Alexis,  and  a  short  manifesto." 

1  The  Panins  were,   and   are,  a   celebrated  noble  family 
holding  various  court  appointments. 


36  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  A  manifesto  !  but  what  about  ?  " 

"  I£  Orloff  decides  on  taking  my  part,  I  ad- 
vise him  then  to  proclaim  my  manifesto  to  the 
fleet,  take  me  on  board,  and  stand  up  for  my 
rights." 

"  But  that  is  impossible.  Excuse  me,"  I  tried 
to  answer ;  "  your  actions  are  bold,  but  you  have 
not  reflected  enough." 

"  Why  do  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  the  Princess, 
astonished.  "  The  malcontents  are  seeking  re- 
venge, the  forgotten  recompense  for  their  well- 
known  services.  To  Orloff  alone — and  that  every 
one  knows — to  him  alone  Ekaterina  owes  her 
throne." 

The  Princess  rose,  walked  up  and  down  the 
room,  and  at  last  threw  the  window  open.  She 
was  nearly  stifled.  She  began  again  explaining 
her  plan  in  its  smallest  details  :  how  she  hoped, 
with  the  aid  of  the  fleet,  to  invade  Russia.  She 
would  listen  to  none  of  my  arguments.  It  seemed 
as  if  nothing  could  convince  her.  It  was  plainly 
visible  that  this  capricious,  spoiled,  self-willed 
woman,  whose  feelings  burst  forth  like  lava 
hidden  under  ashes,  thought  she  could  mea- 
sure her  strength  with  the  most  desj3erate  of 
men. 

"You   doubt;    you    are    astonished,"    she    ex- 


THE  PLANS   OF  THE  PRINCESS.  37 

claimed,  with  a  nervous  tremor.     "  You  ask  why 
I  believe  in  the  success  of  my  enterprise  ?     Is  it 
possible  that  you  do  not  know  ?     .     .     .    Already 
many  of  your  countrymen  side  with  me ;  I  am  in 
correspondence  with  numbers  of  them. 
But  you — are  the   first  Russian,  the   first  really 
worthy  man,  that  I  see  throwing  in  your  lot  with 
me.     ...     I  shall  never  forget  the  fact ;  it  is 
specially    dear   to    me.     .     .     .     Believe    me,    I 
shall    rise     victorious    out    of    every    difficulty ; 
the    darkness    will    clear    away.     ...     Is    it 
possible  that  you  do  not  know  that  Russia  is  torn 
asunder  by   her  battles,  the   pressgang   for  the 
recruits,  the   fires,   the  plagues  ?     Is  it  possible 
you  do  not  know  that  the  country  is  worn  out 
with  her  taxations,  that  on  the  borders  of  the 
Volga  there  rages  a  terrible,  bloody  insurrection  ? 
Your  army  is  badly  clothed,  and  still  worse  fed ; 
...     all  are  discontented,  all  grumble.     .     .     . 
You  are  not  going  to   tell  me  that  you,  a  lieu- 
tenant  in   the    Russian    navy,  know   nothing  of 
all  this  ?     Yes,  all  the  nation  will  hail  me  with 
delight;  the  army  will  meet  with  joy  a  Russian- 
born  princess,   Elizabeth  II.,  just  as  they  once 
met  Ekaterina." 

I  was  indio-nant  at  her  childish  and  blind  con- 
fidence  in  herself. 


38  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA, 


fJ    5  5 


"  Well,  let  it  be  so.     Do  you  speak  Russian  ? 
I  decided  on  asking  her. 

The  Princess  blushed.  "  I  do  not  speak  it.  I 
have,  of  course,  forgotten  it,  unfortunately,"  she 
answered,  coughing.  "  In  my  infancy,  when  but 
three  years  old,  I  was  taken  from  Oukraine  to 
Siberia,  where  they  nearly  poisoned  me ;  from 
there  into  Persia,  where  1  was  placed  with  an  old 
woman  in  Ispahan,  who  took  me  to  live  in  Bagdad, 
where  a  certain  M.  Fournier  taught  me  French. 
So  it  would  have  been  rather  strange 
if  I  did  remember  my  own  language." 

I  still  continued  sitting,  my  eyes  fixed  on  the 
ground.     I  could  not  raise  them  to  her  face. 

"  And  Dimitri  Tzarevitch,1  whom  all  Moscow 
met  so  joyfully,  did  he  speak  Russian  ?  "  asked 
the    Princess    contemptuously.      "  Besides,    what 

1  Dimitri  Tzarevitch  was  the  son  of  Ivan  the  Terrible,  the 
last  of  the  house  of  Ruric,  and  was  said  to  have  been  killed 
at  the  age  of  nine  at  Ouglitch.  He  of  whom  the  Princess 
speaks  was  a  pretender,  a  runaway  novice,  so  it  is  said. 
But  historians  differ  as  to  this.  Some  say  that  when  Boris 
Godounoff  (the  Russian  Oliver  Cromwell)  planned  to  kill 
Dimitri,  some  faithful  friends  hid  the  Tzarevitch,  and  sent 
him  to  the  Polish  Court,  where  he  was  brought  up,  and  that 
afterwards  he  came  into  Russia  with  many  adherents  and  an 
army  of  several  thousands,  the  majority  of  whom  were  Poles. 
He  reigned  less  than  a  year,  being  killed  during  an  insurrec- 
tion, 1595-9G. 


MY  ASSISTANCE  INVOKED.  39 

can  languages  prove  ?  Children  learn  and  unlearn 
everything  so  easily." 

"Dimitri  spoke  with  a  '  Little  Russian  '  accent," 
answered  I.  "  And  then,  after  all,  he  was  but — 
a  pretender !  " 

"  Gran  Dio  !  "  she  exclaimed;  and  again  cough- 
ing, the  Princess  laughed.  "  And  you're  not 
ashamed  of  repeating  those  idle  tales  ?  Listen  to 
me,  and  remember  my  words.' : 

The  Princess  threw  herself  back  in  her  chair. 
Bright  spots  appeared  in  her  cheeks. 

"  Dimitri  was  the  real  tzarevitch."  She  said 
this  in  a  voice  of  conviction.  "  Yes,  the  real 
tzarevitch.  He  was  saved  from  the  hands  of 
the  assassin  Grodounoff  by  the  cleverness  of  those 
around  him,  almost  by  a  miracle,  just  as  I  was 
saved  from  the  poison  they  gave  me  in  Siberia. 
Ah  !  you  did  not  know  that  ?  Yes,  think  about 
it  all  a  little  more.  Oh !  Signor  Konsov,  tell 
your  tales  to  some  one  else,  but  not  to  me,  who 
have  studied  in  a  strange  land  the  genealogy  of 
our  house.  The  Shah  of  Persia  offered  his  hand 
and  his  throne  to  me,  but  I  refused  him ;  he  is 
the  eternal  enemy  of  Russia.  ...  I  shall 
be  acknowledged.  Do  you  hear  ?  They  must 
acknowledge  me,"  said  the  Princess,  with  great 
dignity. 


40  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Striking  her  knee  with  her  fan,  and  beginning 
again  to  cough,  she  continued, — 

"  I  believe  in  the  star  of  my  destiny,  and  there- 
fore I  choose  you  as  my  ambassador  to  Count 
Orloif.  I  do  not  exact  a  speedy  answer.  Think 
over  it,  weigh  well  my  words,  and  then  give  me 
your  decision.  Yon,  again  I  repeat,  are  the  first 
Russian  in  an  honourable  military  position  whom 
I  have  met  abroad.  You  also  have  suffered,  and 
also  escaped  from  prison  by  a  miracle.  Who 
knows  ?  perhaps  Heaven  saved  you,  like  many 
others,  and  sent  you  to  me." 

Having  said  this,  the  Princess  rose,  and,  with 
a  most  majestic  salute,  signified  that  the  audience 
was  concluded. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

I   CONVEY  A   LETTER. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  Who  is  she  ?  What 
is  she  ?  A  pretender,  or  a  Russian  grand 
duchess  ? '  thought  I,  as,  full  of  contending 
thoughts,  I  left  the  room  of  the  Princess,  and 
with  faltering  steps  passed  between  the  persons 
of  her  suite,  who  saluted  me  right  and  left  with 
the  greatest  respect. 

At  the  perron1  I  noticed  several  carriage-horses, 
adorned  with  velvet  and  feathers.  On  entering 
the  hotel  I  heard  the  clattering  of  horses'  hoofs. 
Going  to  the  window,  I  saw  the  Princess,  sur- 
rounded by  her  courtiers,  riding  fearlessly  on  a 
beautiful  white  horse.  The  cavalcade  flew  by  on 
the  road  to  Rao-usa. 

For  several  days  I  could  not  get  rid  of  the 
most  agitating  ideas.  I  hardly  left  my  room, 
walking  backwards  and  forwards,  then  lying  down, 
then  writing  letters,  only,  however,  to  tear  them 
up  again,  and  constantly  thinking,  "  How  could 

1  Steps  before  a  house. 

41 


42  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

I,  remembering  the  oath  of  allegiance  wliicli  I 
Jiacl  taken  on  entering  the  service  ?  What  ought  I 
to  do  regarding  the  proposition  of  this  mysterious 
Princess  ?  " 

One  day  her  secretary,  Charnomski,  came  to 
pay  me  a  visit.  He  was  a  smart,  elegantly-dressed 
man  of  about  forty.  He  had  once  been  very  rich, 
had  been  a  duellist  and  a  Lovelace,  had  lost  all 
his  fortune  at  cards  and  in  the  affairs  of  the  Con- 
federation. He  had  not  lost  his  fine  manners, 
but  was  very  conceited  and  insinuating,  and — 
so  rumour  said — was  serving  the  Princess  because 
he  was  deeply  in  love  with  her.  The  conversa- 
tion turned  on  the  Princess.  He  was  eloquent 
on  the  subject  of  her  generosity,  her  fearless- 
ness, and,  having  assured  me  on  oath  that  all 
she  had  said  of  her  past  life  was  true,  again 
renewed,  in  her  name,  an  entreaty  that  I  would 
side  with  her. 

"  But  whose  daughter  is  she  ?  who  was  her 
father  ?  "  I  asked,  rather  drily.  "  You  only  speak 
in  her  favour,  but  there  must  be  proofs.  Every- 
thing is  so  very  doubtful." 

Charnomski  reddened,  and  was  silent  several 
minutes. 

It  seemed  to  me  at  that  time  that  this 
Princess's   Ganymede  curled   and  pomatumed  in 


A    VISIT  FROM   CHARNOMSKL  43 

the  last  fashion,  with  his  diamond  ear-rings,  was 
rouged. 

"  Good  heavens  !  what  doubts  !  Her  father — 
do  you  not  know  it  yourself? — was  the  Count 
Alexis  Razoumovski,"  said  this  wily  diplomatist, 
regaining  his  composure.  "  But  if  you  desire  it, 
sir  lieutenant,  I  can  give  you  all  the  details. 
You  see,  the  Empress  Elizabeth,  after  her  secret 
marriage  with  the  count,  had  several  chil- 
dren  " 

"  Oh  !  all  that's  nonsense ;  no  one  really  knows 
anything  about  it,"  I  answered. 

"  Of  course  it  was  a  rather  delicate  affair,  and 
was  kept  a  great  secret,"  continued  Charnomski. 
"  You  are  right,  how  should  every  one  know  ? 
But  I  relate  all  this  because  I  have  it  from 
a  true  source.  What  became  of  the  other  chil- 
dren, and  whether  any  are  still  living,  . 
is  not  known. 

"  The  Princess  Elizabeth,  when  a  child  of  two 
years  old,  was  brought  to  the  relations  of  Razou- 
movski,  the  Cossacks  Daragan,  to  their  property 
in  Oukraine,  Daraganovka,  which  the  neighbours, 
countrymen  of  the  new  parvenus,  styled,  in  their 
own  fashion,  "  Tarakanovka."  The  Dowager 
Empress  Elizabeth,  and  after  her  all  the  court, 
in  fun  called  the  child  the  Princess  Tmoutara- 


44  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

kanova.1  At  first  she  was  not  neglected.  She 
was  often  inquired  after.  Everything  that  she 
needed  was  always  sent  to  her.  But  afterwards, 
especially  during  her  travels,  she  was  lost  sight 
of,  and  finally  quite  forgotten." 

The  word  "  Tarakanovka "  made  me  shudder 
in  spite  of  myself.  It  sounded  to  me  like  a  voice 
of  the  past.  It  reminded  me  of  my  far-off  child- 
hood, of  our  own  little  manor,  Konsovka,  and  my 
late  grandmother,  Agraffena  Ylassovna,  who  had 
known  much  of  the  past  and  present  court ;  of  the 
wonderful  luck  which  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of  the 
shepherd  of  Lemechevski,  who  unexpectedly  had 
become,  instead  of  the  singer,  Aloshki  Razouma,2 
a  count,  and  the  privately  married  husband  of  the 
empress ;  of  the  accession  to  the  throne  of  the 
new  empress;  of  the  attempt  of  Merovitch,  and 
of  many  other  events.     Through  him  my  grand - 

1  "  Tarakanova ''  and  "Tarakanovka'1  have  the  same 
meaning,  and  apply  equally  to  persons  and  property,  but  the 
latter,  being  the  more  playful  term,  is  used  for  a  child. 
"  Tmoutarakanova,"  or  "  Tmou tarakanovka,"  was  a  pet  name. 
It  is  the  name  of  a  town  opposite  Kertch,  and  of  a  Prince 
whose  capital  it  was.     Tarakan  means  "  cockroach." 

2  Aloshki  was  a  native  of  Oukraine,  but  was  brought 
thence  to  sing  in  the  choir  of  the  Imperial  chapel.  His 
splendid  voice  first  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Empress 
Elizabeth  Petrowna.  His  handsome  figure  and  beautiful  face 
did  the  rest. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  45 

father,  Irakli  Konsov,  who  was  a  neighbour  of 
the  Razoumovskis  in  the  village  Lemesha,  was 
loaded  with  favours,  rose  in  his  service,  and  died 
in  a  very  high  position. 

I  remembered  another  very  hazy  circumstance. 
I  went  once  with  my  grandmother  to  a  name's- 
sake  day  party  given  by  some  relations.  Our 
road  lay  across  a  village  near  Baturin,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Hetman 1  Kiryl  Razoumovski.  It 
was  a  lovely  and  calm  summer's  evening,  and  we 
were  talking  together,  grandmother  and  I.  From 
the  open  carriage,  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  in 
the  twilight  we  could  see  the  weeping  willows, 
and,  scattered  here  and  there  between  them,  the 
white  cottages  and  windmills,  and  above  the 
willows  and  the  cottages  the  church  steeple. 
My  grandmother,  musing  quietly,  crossed  herself, 
and  then  thoughtfully,  gently,  as  if  to  herself, 
all  at  once  pronounced  the  word  "  Tarakanchic."  2 

"  What  did  you  say,  grandmother  ?  ;    I  asked. 

"  Tarakanchic." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

1  The  title  given  to  the  chief  over  all  the  Cossacks  in 
Little  Russia. 

2  A  pet  name.  Nearly  all  family  names  admit  of  this 
suffix.  The  Russians  have  any  number  of  pet  names  and 
diminutives.  "  Aloshki"  (p.  44),  for  instance,  is  the  diminu- 
tive for  Alexis, 


46  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  Well,  I  will  tell  you,  moil  anye"  she  an- 
swered. "  Here,  a  long  time  ago,  in  this  same 
village,  lived  a  mysterious  person — a  lovely, 
graceful,  and  fair  child,  as  fair  as  a  lily ;  but  she 
did  not  stay  long,  and  where  she  disappeared  to 
no  one  knows." 

"  But  who  was  it  ?  "  asked  I. 

"  Red  Riding  Hood,"  answered  my  grand- 
mother, lowering  her  voice.  "  I  suppose,  as  in 
the  fairy  tale,  the  cruel  wolves  have  eaten  poor 
Tmoutarakanovka.  "  1 

My  grandmother  after  this  spoke  no  more,  and 
I,  believing  the  wolves  had  really  eaten  the  child, 
forbore  to  ask  any  more  questions. 

But  now  I  clearly  remembered  that  lovely 
green  and  willowy  Tarakanovka  and  the  myster- 
ious tale  of  my  grandmother.  That  century  was 
rich  in  fairy-like  lore,  and  one  might  be  pardoned 
for  believing  in  all  sorts  of  miracles. 

"  Well,  have  you  decided,  sir  ?  "  broke  in  Char- 
nomski,  seeing  that,  lost  in  thought,  I  was  silent. 

"  Explain  to  me  just  what  the  Princess  expects 
of  me." 

"  Only  one  thing,  sir  lieutenant,  only  one 
thing,"  answered  the  wily  envoy,  getting  up  and 

1  The  Russian  version  of  this  nursery  tale  is  rather 
different  to  the  English. 


CHARNOMSKPS   MESSAGE.  47 

bowing.  "  To  take  this  letter  of  the  Princess  to 
Count  Orion0 ;  that  is  the  only  thing  she  asks  of 
you.  .  .  .  Tell  the  count  how  and  where  you 
met  the  Russian  Grand  Duchess  Elizabeth,  and 
with  what  impatience  she  awaits  his  answer  to  her 
first  letter  and  manifesto.  On  the  result  of  your 
mission  depends  her  further  course  of  action 
and  her  departure  for  the  Sultan's  court. 

Charnomski  took  from  his  breast  pocket  a 
letter,  and  handed  it  to  me. 

"  That  is  her  only  request,"  he  repeated,  bow- 
ing again,  and  insinuatingly  looking  me  in  the 
face,  with  a  half-look  of  entreaty  in  his  large 
grey  eyes. 

After  having  thought  it  all  over,  I  felt  that  I 
ought  not  to  refuse,  and  I  took  the  letter.  My 
duty  as  an  officer  demanded  that  I  should  let  the 
count  know  everything.  He  must  decide  what 
should  be  done  ;  that  would  be  his  affair. 

«  Very  well,"  answered  I.  "  I  do  not  know 
who  your  Princess  is,  but  I  undertake  to  deliver 
her  letter  in  safety." 

Having  waited  some  time,  I  found  an  oppor- 
tunity of  sailing  to  my  destination.  I  presented 
myself  once  more  to  the  Princess,  made  my 
adieux,  and  left  Ragusa.  The  very  same  day 
the    Prince    Radzivill  gave,    in    honour    of    the 


48  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

Princess,  his  fairy-like  and  long-renowned  fete. 
For  a  long  time  in  Europe  the  newspapers  could 
talk  of  nothing*  else.  The  extravagant  and 
generous  prince,  madly  in  love  with  the  Princess, 
had  already  been  lavishing  his  wealth  upon  her, 
like  an  Indian  nabob ;  but  this  time  he  surpassed 
himself.  The  fete  lasted  a  long  time ;  the  most 
precious  wines  flowed  like  water.  There  was 
music,  cannon  were  fired  in  the  gardens,  and  a 
beautiful  display  of  fireworks  of  more  than  1,000 
rockets  astonished  all  the  town.  At  the  end  of 
the  feast,  the  knightly  lover  suddenly  announced 
that  the  dances  would  continue  till  the  morning, 
and  that  at  dawn  all  the  revellers,  to  refresh 
themselves,  should  see  a  real  winter,  and  should 
drive  home,  not  in  carriages,  but  in  sleighs. 
On  the  morrow,  when  the  guests  came  out  on 
the  perron,  the  neighbouring  streets  were  really 
quite  white,  and  to  all  appearance  covered  with 
snow.  During  the  night  busy  workers  had  spread 
a  thick  layer  of  salt  over  everything,  and  the 
joyous,  noisy  crowd  of  masques,  amidst  repeated 
salutes  of  cannon  and  the  shouts  of  the  newly- 
awakened  citizens,  were  really  driven  home  to 
the  musical  sound  of  the  sleigh  bells. 

I  took    my  departure    for  Italy,  puzzling  my 
brain     with     various     questions.       "  Was     this 


/  LEAVE  RAGUSA.  49 

Princess  really  the  daughter  of  the  Empress 
Elizabeth  ?  Did  she  believe  in  the  truth  of  what 
she  said  herself,  or  did  she  spread  these  rumours 
on  purpose?"  As  far  as  I  could  remember  the 
expression  of  her  face,  there  appeared  from  time 
to  time,  especially  in  her  eyes,  something  it 
seemed  to  me  almost  impossible  to  catch — a  look 
of  indecision,  mingled  with  a  gleam  of  hope. 

In  taking  with  me  her  letter  and  the  parti- 
culars I  had  learnt,  I  was  prompted  by  feelings 
of  duty,  as  an  officer  of  Her  Majesty  Ekaterina, 
but  I  was  half  won  over  by  pity  for  the  Princess 
as  a  lovely  and  helpless  woman. 


E 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

I  DELIVER   A   LETTER. 

I  landed  at  Ancona.  From  there  I  started  for 
Bologna,  which  I  had  heard  the  commander  had 
chosen  for  his  headquarters.  The  Count  Alexis 
Orloff,  although  the  hero  of  Chesma,  hated  the 
sea  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  and  having 
given  over  the  command  of  the  squadron  to  his- 
vice-admiral,  the  first  flag-officer,  Y ice- Admiral 
Samuel  Greig,  he  spent  most  of  his  time  on  land- 
To  those  beneath  him  he  was  ever  amiable  and 
good.  He  was  very  fond  of  simple  jokes,  and 
surrounded  as  he  was  by  almost  Imperial  luxury,, 
was  always  attentive  and  easy  of  access.  The 
life  of  the  count  at  Moscow,  before  the  campaign 
in  the  Greek  waters,  which  had  covered  his  name 
with  glory,  had  remained  graven  on  my  mind.. 
The  Orloffs  were  no  strangers  to  our  family. 
My  late  father  in  days  gone  by  had  been  their 
companion-in-arms,  and  I,  in  going  backwards 
and  forwards  from  the  naval  schools  to  my 
birth-place,  used  very  often  to  spend  long  holidays 
in   their  Muscovite   house.       The    Count    Alexis- 

50 


COUNT  ALEXIS   ORLOFF.  51 

especially  was  a  favourite  of  bright  Moscow ; 
the  gigantic  and  splendid  figure  of  Count 
Alexana,  as  all  Moscow  called  him,  full  of  robust 
health,  his  fine  Grecian  eyes,  his  gay  and  care- 
less manners,  his  enormous  wealth,  all  tended  to 
attract  to  his  hospitable  halls  all  that  Moscow 
could  boast  of  as  regards  aristocracy,  nobility, 
and  also  almost  all  other  classes. 

The  house  of  the  Count  Alexis,  as  I  well 
remember  it  now,  stood  not  far  from  the  gates 
of  Moscow,  and  not  far  from  the  "  Crimean 
Ford,"  and  very  near  to  his  property  in  the 
environs  of  Moscow,  the  village  Niaskouchnavo 
(the  "  not  gloomy  "  village). 

The  Muscovites  could  admire  in  the  house  of 
the  count  the  splendid  gobelin  tapestries  on  the 
walls ;  the  marvellous,  graceful  Dutch -tile  stoves 
on  gilt  pedestals ;  the  magnificent  collection  of 
old  arms  and  armour.  His  town  garden  was 
ornamented  with  ponds,  lakes,  arbours,  cascades, 
a  menagerie,  and  an  aviary.  At  the  princely 
gates,  in  one  of  the  windows  of  the  lodge-keeper's 
cottage,  hung  a  golden  cage  with  a  parrot  in  it, 
who  would  scream  at  the  idlers,  "  Long  live  our 
little  Mother  Empress  ! '  At  the  fabulous  feasts 
of  the  Count  Alexis,  very  often  under  the  costly 
lemon    and    orange     trees,    brought    from     his 


■52  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

hothouses,  tables  would  be  spread,  at  which 
more  than  300  people  would  sit  down.  A  true 
Russian  at  heart,  the  count  used  to  like  owing; 
his  guests  the  pleasure  of  looking  on  at  boxings, 
wrestlings,  minstrelsies,  himself  often  not  dis- 
daining to  take  part  in  them.  With  his  hand  he 
could  bend  a  horseshoe,  tie  a  poker  in  a  knot, 
or  catch  a  bull  by  the  horns  and  throw  him 
down ;  and  to  these  sights  he  would  sometimes 
invite  all  Moscoav. 

On  one  occasion,  to  have  a  ov>od  laugh  at 
the  rising  passion  of  the  fops  for  pince-nez  and 
spectacles,  on  the  1st  of  May  he  sent  on  the 
public  promenade  at  Sokolnika  one  of  his  atten- 
dants, dressed  in  a  riding  costume,  and  leading 
amongst  the  crowd  of  young  dandies  a  poor, 
crippled,  and  half -blind  cur,  with  great  tin  spec- 
tacles on  his  nose,  and  a  card  hung  round  his 
neck  with  the  following  sentence  in  large  letters, 
"  And  look,  he's  only  three  years  old !  " 

But  it  was  his  splendidly  arranged  hunting 
meets  and  horse  races  which  made  him  a  centre 
of  attraction  to  all  classes  of  society.  Not  one 
horse  in  all  Moscow  could  be  compared  to  his 
"  Rissak,"1  a  mixed  breed  of  Arabian,  English, 

1  To  this  day  this  breed  remains  unrivalled,  and  it  is 
called,  after  the  Count,  "  Orlovski  Rissak." 


THE  COUNT  AND  HIS  HORSES.  53 

and  Frisian  horses.  At  the  races  held  in  front 
of  the  house  at  the  "  Crimean  Ford  "  I  can  even 
now  remember  how  the  Count  Alexano,  in  the 
winter  in  his  tiny  sleighs,  and  in  summer  in 
his  racing:  droshies  would  lead  with  his  own 
hands  his  spotlessly  white  horse  "  Smitanka," 
or  her  rival,  the  dapple-grey  "  Amazonka." 
Crowds  would  be  running  after  the  count  when 
he,  gathering  the  reins  in  his  hand  in  his 
romanovski  touloup,1  or  his  damask  coat,  would 
appear  at  the  gates  on  his  snorting,  white- 
maned  beauty,  calling  out  to  his  three  Simeons — 
to  his  first  jockey,  Sainka  the  White,  to  arrange 
the  bit;  to  his  second,  Sainka  the  Black,  to 
tighten  the  stirrups;  to  his  third,  Sainka  the 
Dresdenite,  to  moisten  the  horse's  mane  with  hvas. 

The  count  was  also  playful  in  his  correspon- 
dence. Who  does  not  know  the  letter  he  wrote 
to  his  brother  Gregory  after  the  celebrated  victory 
of  Chesma  ? 

"  Sir,  my  brother,  good  day  !  We  marched  on 
the  enemy,  we  went  up  to  him,  we  caught  him, 
we  felled  him,  we  broke  him,  we  conquered  him, 
we  drowned  him,  we  burnt  him,  and  turned  him 

1  A  sheepskin  coat  with  the  wool  inside.  The  hide  is  em- 
broidered with  gaily-coloured  silks,  and  being  peculiarly 
tanned,  is  very  expensive. 


54  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

into  ashes.     And  I,  your  humble  servant,  am  in 
good  health. — Alexis  Orloff." 

Copies  of  this  letter  were  in  the  hands  of 
every  one.  A  born  jester,  a  reveller,  a  boxer,  this 
pleasure-loving  count  in  his  young  years  be- 
fore the  war  had  never  even  dreamt  of  being  a 
sailor.  Even  to  take  the  command  of  the  fleet 
in  Italy  he  went  by  land  !  He  was  very  much 
talked  about  on  the  accession  of  the  empress  to 
the  throne ;  after  the  battle  of  Chesma  he  was 
still  more  talked  about ;  but  to  a  good  many 
he  remained  an  enigma.  At  the  reviews  and 
parades,  at  his  own  princely  levees,  Count*  Alexis 
always  appeared  surrounded  with  great  pomp, 
covered  with  gold,  diamonds,  and  orders  of  all 
sorts  ;  but  in  his  walks  in  Paris  he  would  go  out 
amongst  the  elegant  and  fastidious  crowd  of 
promenaders  sometimes  with  his  head  un- 
powdered,  with  a  little  round  bourgeois  hat, 
and  a  coat  of  the  coarsest  and  commonest  grey 
cloth.  I,  of  course,  like  others,  could  not  very 
well  guess  the  motives  which  prompted  him  to  do 
all  this.  Very  often  even  his  words  would  be- 
wilder you.  Yes,  he  was  a  man  of  great  mind 
and  subtle  wit.  I  burned  with  impatience  again 
to  see  him,  after  so  long  a  separation,  although 
the    commission  entrusted    to   me    by  the  Prin- 


DOUBTS  ABOUT  MY  MISSION.  55 

cess  troubled  me  very  mucli.  Before  my  de- 
parture from  Ragusa  I  had  let  the  count  know 
by  letter  of  my  escape  from  the  Turks,  and  also 
that  I  was  bringing  him  news  of  a  very  important 
person,  whom  I  had  discovered  by  accident  and 
had  met. 

My  journey  through  Italy  lasted  a  long  time.  I 
managed  to  o*et  a  chill  on  the  mountains,  fell  ill, 
and  was  obliged  to  stay  for  some  time  at  the 
house  of  a  charitable  mao-nate.  At  length  I 
arrived  at  Bologna.  After  having  rested  from 
my  journey  a  little,  I  changed  my  dress,  and, 
feeling  rather  agitated,  I  approached  the  beautiful 
palace  of  the  count  at  Bologna.  I  learnt  that  the 
count  was  at  home,  and  sent  to  announce  my 
presence.  After  my  long  imprisonment,  I  had 
every  reason  to  expect  a  warm  welcome  and 
reward;  but  I  was  rather  doubtful  how  the 
count  would  take  my  audience  and  conference 
with  the  dangerous  and  mysterious  pretender, 
held  without  the  permission  of  my  chief.  There 
were  two  sides  to  the  question.  If  I  had  been 
asked  to  say  conscientiously  exactly  what  I 
thought  of  the  Princess,  I  should  have  found 
it  very  difficult  to  give  a  truthful  answer.  At 
Ragusa  I  had  heard  many  doubtful  things  of  her 
past  life,  about  mysterious  ties  she   had  formed. 


56  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

But  what  did  her  past  life  matter  to  any  one  ? 
Who  knows  what  ties  she  might  have  been  in- 
duced to  make  to  escape  from  her  gloomy  fate  ? 
And  who  knows  if  such  ties  really  existed  ? 

The  count  received  me  directly.  I  was  led 
through  a  long  suite  of  richly -decorated  drawing- 
rooms  and  salons,  first  on  the  ground-floor  and 
then  upstairs. 

At  this  time  the  handsome  hero  of  Chesma, 
Count  Alexis,  was  in  his  thirty-eighth  year.  Not 
only  at  home,  but  in  a  strange  land,  he  loved  to 
spend  his  time  with  doves,  being  passionately  fond 
of  these  birds.  On  my  arrival  he  was  sitting  at 
the  very  top  of  his  house,  where  he  ordered  the 
footman  at  once  to  bring  me.  What  a  sight  met 
my  eyes !  This  celebrated  man — so  clever,  so 
strong  and  so  stately,  before  whom  all  other  men 
seemed  but  pigmies — was  seated  on  a  common 
wooden  chair  at  the  dusty  little  window.  Having 
run  away  from  the  heat,  he  was  seated  with  only 
his  shirt  on  !  and  was  drinking  out  of  a  mug 
some  iced  wine,  at  the  same  time  waving  his 
handkerchief  at  a  brood  of  doves,  who  were 
pirouetting  about  the  roof.  "  Ah  !  Konchic  ;l  how 
are  you  ? ' '  said  he,  turning  for  a  minute  towards 
me.  "  Well,  what  ?  run  away,  eh  ?  Well,  con- 
1  Chic. — A  diminutive  expressive  of  endearment. 


HOW  THE   COUNT  RECEIVES  ME.  57 

gratulate  you,  old  fellow.  Sit  down.  Oil !  look 
there ;  are  they  not  a  lovely  couple  ?  What  do  you 
think  of  them  ?  Ah  !  the  rascals  ;  there  they  are 
turning  and  twisting.     Ah,  tourmelins  *  ah  !  ' 

Agfain  he  waved  his  handkerchief,  and  I,  not 
finding  any  chair  to  sit  upon,  began  looking  at 
him  with  curiosity. 

The  count  in  these  last  years  of  peace  had 
grown  stouter,  his  neck  was  quite  like  a  bull's, 
his  shoulders  like  Jupiter's  or  Bacchus's,  his  face 
quite  striking,  with  its  look  of  health  and  daunt- 
lessness. 

"  Well !  what  are  you  staring  at  ?  "  said  he, 
standing  and  looking  at  me.  "  I  was  amusing  my- 
self with  birds,  while  you  were  sitting  with  the 
Turks.  Here  they  are  all  clay-coloured  and  black, 
but  the  tuberous  ones,  like  ours,  old  fellow,  are 
few,  and  not  common.  Yes,  they  can  take  letters 
for  a  longer  distance  than  100  versts.  Marvellous! 
If  we  could  but  breed  them  in  Russia!  Well  now, 
tell  me  everything  about  the  prison  and  about 
the  travels." 

I  began  my  narration.  The  count  listened  to  me 
at  first  very  inattentively,  all  the  while  looking 
out  of  the  window,  but  afterwards  he  grew  more 

1  A  species  of  dove,  remarkably  short-beaked  and  short- 
winged.     In  flying  they  turn  over  and  over. 


58  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

interested ;  and  when  I  touched  upon  the  subject 
of  the  person  whom  I  had  met  at  Ragusa,  and 
handed  him  the  letter,  the  count  threw  a  handful 
of  seed  from  a  plate  at  the  assembled  doves,  and 
when  they  all  flew  oif  in  a  crowd  up  on  the  roof, 
stood  up. 

"  This  news,  my  dear  fellow,  is  such  that  we 
must  talk  seriously.  Let's  get  down  from  this 
mast  into  the  company  cabin."  We  went  down- 
stairs and  afterwards  into  the  garden.  The  count 
on  the  way  had  dressed  himself,  and  given  orders 
that  no  one  was  to  be  received.  We  walked  a 
long  while  backwards  and  forwards  in  the 
avenues.  While  I  answered  his  questions  I 
looked  attentively  into  the  expressive  and  often 
dreamy  eyes  of  the  count.  He  listened  to  me 
with  very  great  attention. 

"Ah!  art  scheming?"  said  he,  all  at  once; 
"  why,  suppose  she  is  a  pretender,  an  adventuress. 
Now  explain,"  added  he,  sitting  down  on  a  bench. 
"  Art  repeating  the  words  of  others  or  thine 
own?" 

I  felt  confused,  and  did  not  quite  know  what 
to  answer. 

"  All  the  tales  of  her  past  life  are  so  strange," 
said  I,  "  so  much  like  a  fairy-tale — Siberia,  poison, 
escape  from  Persia,  correspondence  with   all  the 


A    "  VAGABONDS  59 

crowned  heads  of  Europe  —  that  I  have  con- 
scientiously acted  as  a  faithful  servant  of  the 
empress,  looked  well  about  me,  as  I  cannot,  I 
must  say,  hide  my  doubts. 

66  Agreed,"  said  the  count,  "  Of  course,  you 
can  look  at  it  in  two  ways ;  but  the  most  im- 
portant fact  is  that  she  is  known  of  at  St. 
Petersburg.  They  have  written  to  me  about  her, 
speaking  of  her  as  a  'vagabond,'  who  has  taken 
to  herself  a  name  and  genealogy  to  which  she 
has  no  right." 

The  count  was  silent  for  some  time. 

"  H'm  !  nice  vagabond  !  "  added  he,  as  if  to  him- 
self. "  Puzzling,  of  course.  Let  it  be  so  ;  I  do  not 
dispute  it.  .  .  .  But  why  have  they  decided  on 
exacting  her  extradition  ?  and,  in  case  it  should 
be  refused,  on  taking  her  by  force,  even  if  it  is 
necessary  to  bombard  the  citadel  of  Ragusa  ?  No 
one  acts  like  that  with  a  common  vagabond.  Such 
a  person  you  just  catch — a  stone  on  the  neck  and 
in  the  water." 

I  felt  as  if  cold  water  were  running  down  my 
back  at  these  words  of  the  count.  I  vividly 
remember  that  eventful  June  day. 

"  Well,  what,  old  man— you  see  yourself  it's  no 
vagabond — what  do  you  think  about  it  ?  JSo, 
straight  out  with  it,  hide  nothing." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WE    WILL   BEFRIEND   HER. 

The  words  of  the  count  filled  me  with  astonish- 
ment. Involuntarily  I  remembered  then  the 
intelligence  the  Princess  had  given  me  of  the 
fallen  favours  of  the  Orloffs,  of  the  exile  of  the 
late  favourite  to  Revel,  and  of  the  rising  fortunes 
of  their  enemies.  Was  it  grief,  was  it  passion 
which  blinded  the  count  ?  or  did  he  really 
believe  in  the  descent  of  the  Princess  ?  I  really 
did  not  know,  but  I  could  clearly  see  that  he  was 
not  throwing  his  words  to  the  winds,  and  that  a 
great  struggle  was  taking  place  in  his  heart. 

"  Excuse  my  impertinence,  Your  Grace,"  said 
I  impatiently,  "  but  if  you  bid  me,  I'll  hide 
nothing  from  you.  The  person  I  saw,  I  must 
say,  resembles  very  much  the  late  Empress  Eliza- 
beth. Who  does  not  know  the  portrait  of  that 
empress  ?  The  same  imposing  profile,  the  white,, 
delicate  complexion,  the  same  dark  arched  eye- 
brows, the  same  majestic  figure,  and,  more  im- 
portant than  all, — the  same  eyes.     I  cannot  help 

60 


AN  IMPORTANT  STATE  AFFAIR.  61 

relating  to  you  what  my  late  grandmother  in 
Onkraine  told  me  about  the  relatives  of  the 
Kazoumovskis." 

"  Ah  !  bah  !  But  yourself,  Konsov — you  are 
from  Batumi !  "  excitedly  said  the  count.  "  Well, 
well,  and  what  did  your  grandmother  tell  you  ?  " 

I  told  him  all  I  knew  about  Dara^anovka,  and 
about  the  mysterious  child  who  had  once  lived 
there. 

"  Ah !  that's  where  this  Tarakanovka  comes 
from,"  said  the  count.  "  True  !  true  !  Yes  !  yes  ! 
I  remember  now  I  heard  something  about  a 
Tmoutarakanski x  princess." 

He  rose  from  the  bench.  I  could  see  that  he 
was  very  much  agitated.  Crossing  his  hands 
behind  his  back,  and  with  his  head  hanging  down, 
he  began  walking  backwards  and  forwards  on  the 
garden  path.  I  respectfully  followed  him  at  a 
little  distance. 

"  Konsov,  you  are  now  no  longer  a  boy  ! '  said 
Alexis  Gregorevitch,  turning  his  keen  eagle  eyes 
upon  me.  "  This  is  a  most  important  State  affair. 
Be  careful,  not  only  of  your  actions  and  your 
words,  but  even  of  your  very  thoughts.  Can  you 
swear  to  be  silent  on  everything  ?  " 

1  There  are  a  hundred  different  ways  of  saying  Russian 
names. 


62  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  Your  Grace,  I  give  you  my  oath." 

"  Well,  tlien,  listen,  and — remember — you  an- 
swer me  with  your  head."  1 

The  count  stopped,  and  his  thoughtful  gaze 
seemed  to  pierce  my  very  soul ;  then  he  added, 
"  Don't  forget ;  you  know  me  of  old — your 
head !     .     .     ." 

We  crossed  the  garden,  and  sat  on  an  isolated 
bench. 

"  Of  course  it  will  not  be  very  difficult  to  catch 
this  calumniated  person,"  said  the  count;  " you're 
obliged  to  do  a  great  deal  sometimes,  when  you 
are  ordered  to  do  it.  But  would  it  be  honest 
now?  What  do  you  think  about  it? — Mys- 
teriously— deceitfully  ?  Ah  !  and  especially  with 
a  woman. — It  would  be  a  pity  now,  wouldn't  it  ?  ' 

"  Of  course  it  would,"  answered  I,  in  my  sim- 
plicity ;  "  of  course  we  must  conquer  our  enemies  ; 
but  then  openly — otherwise  everybody  will  have 
the  risrlit  to  call  us  traitors,  soul-killers." 

At  this  minute  the  eyes  of  the  count  twinkled 
very  curiously.  He  closed  them  quickly,  as 
though  something  had  blown  into  them. 

"  Of  course,  of  course,  old  man,  it  would  be 
mean.     .     .     .     You  and  I  are  not  executioners," 
said  he.     "Of  course  they  wouldn't  write  from 
1  i.e.  "  If  you  play  ine  false,  you  forfeit  your  head." 


THE   COUNTS  INTENTIONS.  63 

Petersburg  for  nothing;  and  then,  who  knows 
what  they  think  about  us  there  ?  But  there  now, 
I'll  be  open.  I  received  two  secret  envoys  from 
over  there,  tempting  and  inducing  me  to  turn 
traitor.  .  .  .  Could  I  expect  such  a  thing? 
Isn't  it  an  insult,  after  all  my  long  years  of  faith- 
ful devotion  ?    Ah  !  what  think  you  of  that  ?  ' 

The  frankness  of  the  count  struck  me  with 
astonishment,  and  flattered  my  vanity.  "  What 
a  lot  falls  to  the  great  of  this  earth  ! '  thought  I 
and  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  pitied  the 
count,  whose  fallen  greatness  I  knew  already. 

Alexis  Gregorevitch  put  several  questions  to 
me  about  the  Princess  and  her  entourage,  told 
me  he  would  employ  me  as  adjutant,  and  dis- 
missed me  with  the  order  to  go  to  Bologna  and 
await  his  commands.  I  thanked  him  for  his 
attention,  and  took  my  leave. 

The  next  day  the  count  left  for  Livorno l  to  visit 
his  squadron,  and  remained  away  a  whole  week- 
As  I  was  without  any  money  and  in  great  want 
of  everything,  it  was  not  very  pleasant  for  me.  I 
had  no  one  to  write  to  in  Russia.  Several  more 
days  passed.     At  last  I  was  summoned. 

The  count  received  me  in  his  study. 

1  Generally  miswritten  in  English  "  Leghorn." 


64  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"Can  you  guess,  Konsov,  what  I've  to  tell 
you  ?  "  he  asked  me,  arranging  some  papers. 

"  How  can  I  guess  the  thoughts  of  Your 
Grace?" 

"  Here's  a  note.  Go  to  the  purser,  get  some 
money,  pay  your  debts.  Send  the  money  to  those 
French  creditors.  You've  ruined  yourself  in  the 
service.     To-morrow  you  go  to  Rome." 

I  bowed,  and  awaited  further  orders. 

"  Do  you  know  why  ?  "  asked  the  count. 

"  I  cannot  guess." 

"  Whilst  you  wandered  about  and  were  ill, 
this  mysterious  Princess,  deserted  by  the  volatile 
Radzivill,"  said  the  count,  "left  Ragusa.  At  first, 
with  a  Neapolitan  passport,  she  went  to  Barletta, 
lived  there  some  time.  Now  she  has  appeared  in 
Rome  as  a  Polish  lady.     Do  you  understand  ?  " 

I  again  bowed. 

"  Well,  now,"  continued  the  count,  "  I  am  very 
culpable  in  her  eyes.  I  have  not  answered  her 
two  letters.  But  how  could  I,  surrounded  by  all 
these  spies  ?  Answer  ?  I  tried  once  or  twice  to 
send  her  a  faithful  emissary,  one  of  your  own 
companions-at-arms,  but  she  would  not  receive 
him.  I  pity  that  poor,  young  deserted  thing,  so 
inexperienced  and  without  any  means.  You'll 
be  able  to  see  her  and  becfin  the  negotiations.     I 


/  AM   TO   GO    TO  ROME.  65 

have  invited  her  here ;  at  Rome,  I  have  heard, 
there  are  several  Russians.  Try  and  get  to  know 
everything  that's  going  on ;  but,  first  of  all,  shield 
her  from  all  enemies  and  all  foreign  influence. 
Let  her  believe  in  us  alone.  We  will  befriend  her. 
About  your  own  conscience,  be  easy ;  all  shall  be 
done  in  all  mercy  and  according  to  the  laws  of 
justice." 


p 


CHAPTER  X. 

IS   THE  COUNT  A   TRAITOR? 

I  was  overwhelmed;  I  was  wonders  truck. 

"  Is  it  possible  the  count  can  be  a  traitor  ? ' 
The  thought  new  like  lightning  through  my  brain. 
Impossible.  Celebrated  patriot,  celebrated  hero 
of  the  Coup  oVEtat,1  right  hand  of  Ekaterina? 
Such  thoughts  would  be  unworthy.  But  what  in 
the  world  is  he  plotting  ?  Agitated  by  different 
doubts,  suddenly  a  bold  and  almost  insolent  plan 
came  into  my  head — that  of  learning  the  most 
secret  designs  of  the  count.  It  is  true  that  in 
these  last  few  days  a  rumour  had  been  circulated 
to  the  effect  that  from  the  north  had  been  received 
a  secret  ukase,  that  the  count,  for  whom  the 
deepest  regret  was  felt,  had  been  recalled,  and 
the  command  of  the  fleet  given  to  another. 

"Excuse  me,  Your  Grace,"  said  I  to  the  count; 
"  to-morrow  I  start  for  Rome.  You  have  confided 
to  me  a  mission  of  the  highest  importance.  In 
case  the  Princess  should  agree  to  your  conditions, 

1  That,  namely,  which  placed  Ekaterina  on  the  throne. 

G6 


THE  COUNTS  INSTRUCTIONS.  67 

and  should  accept  your  invitation,  what  will  ho 
the  result  of  it  all,  if  I  may  presume  to  ask  you  ?  ' 

"  Oh  !  what  a  fireship  ! 1  what  a  leech  !  "  said 
Alexis  Gregorevitch,  with  a  curl  of  his  lip. 
"  Yes,  and  you  sailors  are  all  like  that.  Take 
out  everything,  and  spread  it  on  the  table.  But 
we  diplomats  do  not  care  for  useless  prattle. 
Live,  and  then  you'll  know.  This  affair  will  show 
itself.  But  I  am  the  true  and  faithful  servant 
of  our  Empress  Ekaterina  Alexeevna." 

"Be  generous,  and  forgive  me,  count,"  said 
I.  "  You  have  confided  to  me,  not  a  naval 
mission,  but  a  diplomatic  one.  It  has  never 
happened  to  me  before,  and  therefore  I  am  very 
doubtful.     .     .     .     And  should  this  person  assert 


'A    " 


her  rights  ? 

"Well,  that's  just  what  I'm  thinking  about. 
It  might  easily  be  that  she  is  a  branch  of  the 
Imperial  family.  In  her  veins  flows  perhaps  the 
blood  of  our  mother  Elizabeth.  We  must  be  ready 
for  anything.  Do  all  you  can,  Konsov;  your 
services  shall  not  be  forgotten.  But  don't  forget 
one  thing.  You  must  help  the  Princess  with 
money,  as  she  is  a  woman.  You  must  take  her  out 
of  her  humiliating  position.     .    .    .    Who  knows  ? 

1  i.e.  "  What  an  impatient,  impulsive,  hot-headed  fellow !  ' 
Compare  the  English  idiom,  "  What  a  brick !  " 


68  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

perhaps  to  her  Imperial  Majesty  it  will  not  be 
disagreeable.  Our  reigninsr  sovereign  lias  a 
heart.  Oh !  sometimes  it  is  a  stone.  .  .  .  Who 
knows  ?  perhaps  in  time  it  may  be  softer." 

The  count  astonished  me  more  than  ever. 

""Well,"  thought  I  to  myself,  "what  an  honour 
for  me  to  have  won  the  confidence  of  such  an 
exalted  personage  !  All  is  clear  now.  The 
count  is  no  traitor.  Although  his  ambition,  per- 
haps, led  him  to  murmur,  still. — The  favour  of 
the  Orloffs  is  fallen,  and  it's  evident  the  count 
wishes  to  persuade  the  Princess  to  give  up  her 
rights. " 

The  whole  plan,  explained  to  me  by  the  count,, 
became  quite  clear.  Having  prepared  everything 
for  my  journey,  I  took  my  departure,  with  the 
most  faithful  resolution  to  fulfil  the  mission  which 
had  been  confided  to  me. 

7f?  ?fc  Tfi  ?fc 

It  was  in  the  month  of  February,  1775,  not 
so  very  long  ago  for  me  to  have  suffered  and 
experienced  so  much.  Having  reached  Rome,  I 
made  inquiries  about  the  emissary  of  the  count 
who  had  reached  Home  before  me.  He  was  a 
lieutenant  of  our  own  squadron,  and,  as  some 
said,  a  Greek.  To  me  it  seemed  more  likely 
that  he,  Ivan  Moisaevitch  Christianok  by  name,. 


CHRIS TIANOK.  69 

was  half  German  and  half  Jew.  I  handed  over 
to  him  the  papers  that  had  been  confided  to 
my  care,  and  began  questioning  him  about  our 
mutual  mission.  As  black  as  a  beetle,  small  of 
stature,  restless — in  fact,  a  most  repulsive  man — 
Christianok  smiled  continually,  spoke  always  in 
a  most  insinuating  voice,  and  seemed,  with  his 
shifting  glance,  to  dive  at  once  into  one's  soul 
and  one's  pocket. 

I  learnt  from  Christianok  that  the  Princess  had 
taken  a  few  rooms  in  Rome,  on  the  first  floor  of 
the  house  of  Juani,  on  the  Champs  de  Mars. 
She  lived  there  in  the  greatest  retirement  and  in 
great  want.  She  paid  for  her  apartment  fifty 
sequins  a  month,  and  kept  only  three  servants. 
She  only  went  out  to  go  to  church,  and,  except- 
ing one  friend,  a  Jesuit  abbe,  and  the  doctor  who 
attended  her,  she  saw  no  one.  The  emissary  of 
the  count,  Christianok,  disguised  as  a  beggar, 
lounged  about  the  house  of  Juani  for  more  than 
a  fortnight,  trying  in  vain  to  get  a  glimpse  of  its 
fair  inhabitant.  But  he  was  mistrusted  by  every 
one,  and,  notwithstanding  all  his  efforts,  his  en- 
treaties to  the  servants,  no  one  would  let  him  in. 
He  took  me  to  the  Champs  de  Mars. 

The  house  of  Juani  was  very  solitary;  it  was 
built  quite  apart,  between  a  yard  and  a  not  very 


yo  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

large  but  very  shady  garden.  I  went  up  to  the 
door  and  raised  the  knocker.  First  I  saw  at  the 
window,  which  was  framed  in  creeping  vines,  the 
maid  of  the  Princess,  daughter  of  a  Prussian 
captain,  Francis  Mecedes,  and  after  her  the 
secretary  of  the  Princess,  whom  I  had  seen  at 
Ragusa,  Charnomski. 

"  From  whom  ? '  asked  the  latter  timidly, 
looking  at  me  from  behind  the  half-open  door. 

I  hardly  knew  him  again.  Where  was  his 
ajAomb — his  foppery  ?  where  had  it  disappeared  ? 
His  clothes  were  half  worn  out,  his  hair  was 
uncurled,  there  was  no  rouge  on  his  cheeks, 
and  he  wore  only  the  commonest  and  cheapest 
of  ear-rings  ! 

"  From  Count  Orion0,"  answered  I. 

"  Have  you  a  letter  ? 

"  Yes  ;  but  let  me  in.3 

"  Have  you  a  letter  ?  ' '  repeated  the  secretary, 
already  taking  an  insolent  and  bragging  tone. 

"  Yes,  in  the  writing  of  the  count  himself," 
answered  I,  handing  him  the  letter. 

Charnomski  tore  it  out  of  my  hands,  glanced 
at  the  German  superscription,  and,  quite  be- 
wildered, slowly  retreated,  and  disappeared. 
After  a  few  minutes  the  door  was  quickly  opened, 
and  I  was  let  in. 


j) 


55 


THE  PRINCESS  RECEIVES   ME.  71 

"  Ah  !  mille  pardons  !  "  said  Charnomski,  bow- 
ing* very  low ;  "  now  just  fancy,  I  didn't  know 
you  again  in  your  uniform,  you  are  so  changed. 
Welcome,  thrice  welcome,  long-expected  and 
wished-for  guest ! " 

He  turned  and  twisted  and  smirked  so  much 
that  I  could  not  help  at  once  pitying  and  laugh- 
ing at  him. 

The  Princess  received  me  in  a  very  small  room, 
the  windows  looking  out  on  to  the  silent  and 
deserted  garden.  There  were  now  no  splendid 
damask  walls,  no  gilt  furniture,  no  bronze — in 
one  word,  not  one  of  the  luxuries  which  there 
had  been  at  Ragusa.  She  herself,  the  Grand- 
duchess  Elizabeth  Tarakanova,  Princess  Wladim- 
irskaya,  Dame  D'Azow — she  who  had  captivated 
the  Shah  of  Persia  and  German  princes — was  now 
lying  ill  on  a  leathern  sofa,  a  blue  velvet  mantilla 
thrown  over  her,  and  her  feet  encased  in  fur 
slippers.  The  room  was  cold  and  damp.  A  log 
of  wood  was  flickering  dimly  in  the  fireplace, 
shedding  no  warmth  anywhere.  I  did  not  re- 
cognise the  Princess.  Her  thin  and  wan  face, 
with  the  hectic  flush  in  each  cheek,  seemed  more 
lovely  than  ever.  Her  eyes  smiled,  but  they 
were  not  the  same ;  they  reminded  me  of  the 
eyes  of  a  beautiful  wild  fawn,  mortally  wounded, 


72  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

escaping  the   chase,  but  feeling  that  her  end  is 
near. 

"Ah  !  you  are  come  at  last !  "  said  she  timidly, 

smiling.     "  You  have  brought  the  answer  to  my 

letter  from  the  count.     ...     I  have  read  it. 

Thank  you.     .     .     .     What  have  you  to 

tell  me?  " 

"  The  count  is  your  most  obedient  servant," 
answered  I,  repeating  the  words  that  had  been 
said  to  me.  "  He  is  quite  at  your  service  and  at 
your  feet." 

The  Princess  rose.  Arransrinsf  her  beautiful 
fair  wavy  hair,  which  she  wore  without  j)owder, 
she  put  out  her  hand  with  a  timid,  friendly 
gesture.     I  ventured  to  raise  it  to  my  lips. 

"Here  all,  excepting  two  persons,  have  deserted 
me,"  said  she ;  but  her  strong  convulsive  cough 
interrupted  her.  She  put  a  handkerchief  to  her 
lips, — "  and  then,  added  to  that,  I  fell  ill ; — but 
all  that's  nonsense, — it's  not  worth  speaking  about. 
But  do  you  know  now  that  I'm  quite  without  any 
means  ?  The  Prince  Radzivill,  his  friends,  the 
French  people  who  helped  me,  have  all  deserted 
me,  have  all  hidden  themselves, — and  all  that 
happened  so  unexpectedly, — so  quickly. 
Hardly  was  peace  signed  with  Turkey  when  my 
complaisant   Polish   magnates  one  and  all    threw 


THE   CHEQUE.  73 

me  off.  Never  mind ;  I'll  pay  them  out  for  that 
some  day.  But  now,  ...  I  must  tell  you 
openly,"  added  she,  smiling,  UI  am  quite,  yes,  quite, 
without  money.  I  have  not  one  single  baioch1 
— I've  nothing  to  pay  the  doctor,  or  to  procure 
provisions,  with.  My  creditors  give  me  no  peace : 
threaten  me  with  the  police.  It's  awful;  I've 
nothing  left  to  live  upon. 

Having  said  this,  the  Princess  began  again 
to  cough  most  awfully,  and  fixed  upon  me  her 
supplicating,  bewildered  glance; — of  her  former 
confidence  not  a  trace  remained. 

"  Your  Highness,"  said  I,  fulfilling  my  in- 
structions, "the  count  has  sent  you  this  small 
sum.  How  much  there  is  here  I  know  not, 
but  the  count  offers  it  to  you  with  all  his 
heart." 

I  handed  to  the  Princess  a  small  packet, 
sealed  with  the  count's  crest,  and  containing  a 
cheque  on  a  Roman  banker,  Jenkins.  She  read 
the  paper,  passed  her  hands  over  her  eyes, 
looked  me  in  the  face,  and  again  began  coughing. 

"  Is  it  possible  ?"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  happy 
smile,  pressing  the  paper  to  her  heart ;  "  it  is  true 
then — it  is  not  a  hoax  ?  " 

"  Such   exalted    and   important  personages    as 

1  A  small  Italian  coin. 


74  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

His  Grace  the  Count  Orloff  never  joke  on   such 
subjects,"  answered  I. 

The  Princess  all  of  a  sudden  jumped  up  from 
the  sofa,  clapped  her  hands  like  a  child,  and  with 
tears  and  smiles  threw  her  arms  round  my  neck, 
screamed  out  something  I  could  not  make  out, 
and  ran  out  of  the  room. 

From  there  I  could  hear  her  scream,  "  Un- 
limited credit !  5 '  and  then,  all  at  once,  I  could 
hear  her  hysterical  sobs.  The  servants  began 
running  to  and  fro ;  Charnomski,  pale  and  agi- 
tated, came  into  the  room. 

"  Her  Highness  is  so  grateful  to  you,"  said  he, 
pressing  my  hand  with  emotion.  "  You  are  the 
first  to  help  her,  the  first  who  has  kept  his  word. 
It  is  so  rare  now  :  the  Princess  had  every  reason 
to  hesitate ;  she  has  been  so  often  deceived. 
Yes,  my  countrymen  enticed  her  here,  and  then 
deserted  her.  .  .  .  The  count  invites  her  to 
come  to  Bolosnia.  Whether  she  will  consent  or 
not,  I  do  not  know ;  but  we  must  hope  that  she 
will  decide  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  count. 
She  is  fearless,  enterprising,  as  brave  as  a 
chevalier ;  and  to  reach  the  aim  so  dear  to  her 
heart,  believe  me,  she  will  fear  nothing." 

"  May  I  let  the  count  know  this  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Wait    a    short    time — in    her    position — and 


"UNLIMITED   CREDIT!"  75 

then,  as  you  see,  ill,"  answered  Charnomski; 
"  pass  again  in  two  or  three  days,  we  will  let 
you  know.     En  attendant,1  keep  all  secret." 

"  But  there  are  other  Russians  here,"  I  an- 
swered, "who  see  the  Princess.  They  may  injure 
her.     Who  are  they  ?  " 

Charnomski  flushed  to  the  very  roots  of  his 
hair,  looked  embarrassed,  gave  me  a  side-long 
glance,  and  answered  that  he  knew  nothing  about 
that. 

I  took  my  departure.  Several  days  passed, 
but  still  I  knew  nothing  of  the  Princess.  We 
took  it  by  turns,  Christianok  and  I,  to  watch  the 
house  from  one  of  the  neighbouring  restaurants, 
noticing  who  went  in  and  out,  and  awaiting  fur- 
ther events. 

For  the  first  two  or  three  days  all  in  the  house 
was  as  quiet  and  solitary  as  usual.  The  doctor 
came  several  times,  then  a  woman  dressed  all  in 
black,  covered  with  a  long  black  veil,  to  all 
appearance  a  nun.  She  always  used  to  remain 
a  considerable  time  with  the  Princess.  One 
evening  a  servant  of  the    house  brought  up   to 

1  Members  of  the  higher  society  in  Russia  are  accustomed 
to  interlard  their  conversation  with  foreign. — especially 
French, — phrases.  This  is  not  astonishing  when  we  con- 
sider what  splendid  linguists  they  are. 


76  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

the  perron  a  very  handsome  hired  carriage ;  a 
woman  wrapped  in  a  bine  velvet  mantilla  came 
out  with  tottering  steps,  and  took  a  seat  in  the 
carriage. 

"  The  Princess  !  "  said  I,  to  Christianok.  "  We 
must  follow  and  find  out  where  she  goes." 

We  called  a  cab,1  and  folloAved  her.  The  car- 
riage, its  blinds  drawn  down,  rapidly  passed 
through  several  streets,  bowled  out  into  the 
Cor  so,  and  drew  up  at  the  door  of  the  banker 
Jenkins.  All  was  clear  now;  the  magical  key, 
the  count's  cheque,  had  opened  the  door  to  the 
confiding  and  fearless  beauty. 

Another  week  passed,  and  still  no  news  of  the 
Princess.  I  had  caught  cold,  and  was  obliged 
to  keep  indoors,  but  Christianok,  who  alone  now 
watched  the  house,  told  me  with  great  indignation 
that  we  had  been  made  fools  of,  and  nothing  else ; 
the  Princess  did  not  even  think  of  going  to 
Bologna.  She  had,  as  the  emissary  learnt,  paid 
all  her  debts ;  the  creditors  and  the  police,  who 
had  threatened  her  with  arrest,  had  been  tran- 
quillized, and  had  therefore  left  her  at  peace. 

The  house  of  Juani  had  wonderfully  altered. 
Before  the  perron  all  day  and  late  at  night  stood 
a  whole  crowd  of  carriages.  The  retinue  of  the 
1  An  anachronism  of  the  author. 


THE  PRINCESS  IGNORES   ME.  77 

Princess  had  again  increased ;  she  had  taken  the 
two  floors  of  the  vast  house  of  Juani,  and  had 
ordered  herself  splendid  toilettes.  Again,  as 
before,  she  was  to  be  seen  constantly  driving 
out,  visiting  museums,  galleries,  paying  and  re- 
ceiving visits  :  she  kept  open  house. 

At  this  very  time  Rome  was  especially  lively; 
the  new  Pope  was  to  be  chosen  in  place  of  the 
late  Clement  XIV.  In  the  evening  the  salons  of 
the  Princess  were  filled  with  the  most  celebrated 
painters,  musicians,  litterateurs,  and  high  clergy. 
The  "  Unknown "  in  the  black  dress  had  not 
been  seen  for  a  long  time.  Once  I  had  met  her 
at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Juani.  On  seeing  me, 
she  turned  away  impatiently,  and,  did  I  dream 
it? — said  something  in  Russian.  I  just  caught 
a  glimpse  of  golden  hair  streaked  with  grey,  and 
the  angry  flash  of  splendid  grey  eyes.  The 
windows  of  the  Princess  were  often  open,  and 
through  them  were  heard  the  strains  of  the  harp,, 
on  which  she  played  artistically.  A  whole  crowd 
of  loiterers  and  beggars,  always  expecting  her 
generous  gratuities,  surrounded  the  house  from 
morning  to  niffht,  and  we  could  often  hear  them 
noisily  applauding  the  splendid  cavalcades  of  the 
Princess.  I  had  quite  recovered  now,  and  could 
see  for  myself  the  Princess,  as  before,  heedless, 


78  PRINCESS   TARARANOVA. 

gay,  now  riding  a  spirited  charger,  flying  like 
the  wind  along  the  squares,  in  the  streets,  now 
driving  in  an  open  carriage ;  always  merry, 
always  laughing.  Involuntarily  I  felt  glad  for 
her,  poor  young  thing,  having,  through  me,  be- 
cause of  her  sex,  found  help  and  support  in  her 
dark  days.  One  thing  alone  vexed  me.  Chris- 
tianok,  who  had  been  given  to  me  as  an  assistant, 
began  to  hint  at  the  possible  want  of  candour  of 
the  count  towards  me.  Rome  be^an  to  talk  of 
the  lovely  Princess,  just  as  Venice  had  talked,  and 
even — though  in  the  last  days  so  bitter  against 
her — Ragusa.  Christianok,  somehow  or  other, 
learnt  that  the  banker  Jenkins  had  paid  her  in 
the  name  of  the  count  10,000  ducats.  The  re- 
vived beauty  spent  the  money  she  received  with 
a  lavish  hand,  never  thinking  that  some  day  it 
would  come  to  an  end.  I  was  once  invited  to 
one  of  her  soirees ;  the  Princess  seemed  a  radiant 
sun  among  surrounding  stars.  She  played  on  the 
harp  with  such  feeling,  that  I  was  deeply  moved. 
Of  her  departure,  however,  she  said  nothing. 
She  merely  remarked  once,  en  passant,  "  Be 
easy ;  it  will  be  all  right." 

At  the  end  of  a  few  days,  on  the  advice  of 
Christianok,  I  wrote  her  a  letter,  reminding  her 
of   the   count.      The    answer  was    very  long   in 


T  MEET   THE  PRINCESS.  79 

coming.  We  were  lost  in  conjectures.  At  last 
I  received  a  note  from  her,  inviting  me  to  meet 
her  in  the  Church  of  Santa  Maria  dell'  Angela. 

It  was  evening.  I  went  silently  into  the  dim 
church,  which  was  filled  with  the  odour  of  in- 
cense. Here  and  there  flickered  a  taper  before 
the  picture  of  some  saint.  A  mysterious  silence 
seemed  to  fill  the  deserted  obscurity  of  the 
columns  and  prte-dieux.  In  the  loneliest  corner, 
behind  a  high  prie-dieu,  with  a  prayer-book  in 
one  hand,  stood,  wrapped  in  a  very  elegant  man- 
tilla, a  tall  slender  figure,  veiled — I  recognised 
the  Princess. 

"  The  wish  for  the  welfare  and  happiness  of 
my  fatherland,  and  future  subjects,"  said  she, 
bending  her  head  over  her  prayer-book,  "  is  so 
strong  in  me  that  I  have  decided  to  accept  the 
invitation  of  the  count.  Before,  he  frightened 
me ;  I  did  not  believe  him.  Now  I  have  full 
confidence.  You  see,  I  have  kept  my  word.  To 
all  my  friends  I  have  said  that  I  am  bidding 
adieu  to  the  world ;  that  for  the  rest  of  my  life 
I  am  shutting  myself  up  in  a  nunnery. — To  you 
I  will  say  something  else.     .     .     ." 

She  lingered,  as  though  gathering  strength. 

"  To-morrow  I  take  my  departure,"  said  she, 
in   a    dignified    voice ;    "  not  for    a  convent,   but 


8o  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

with  you  for  the  Count  Orloff's.     You  will  not 
deceive  me  ;  you  will  not  betray  me  ?  " 

I  silently  bowed.  What  could  I  answer  ?  I, 
the  faithful  subject  of  her  Imperial  Majesty. 
The  eyes  of  the  Princess  were  filled  with  exul- 
tation— with  hopes.  She  knew  no  doubts,  no 
distrust.  Before  me  stood  a  woman  deeply  con- 
vinced.    Pity  for  her  involuntarily  stole  over  me. 

"And  so  till  to-morrow,  and  then,  en  route.  .  ." 

"  Well,  thank  God,  at  last,"  thought  I,  "  the 
count  will  now  be  able  to  convince  her;  he'll 
arrange  matters  for  her." 

She  shook  me  warmly  by  the  hand;  seemed 
as  though  she  wished  to  add  something,  then 
rapidly  disappeared.  I  also  directed  my  steps 
to  the  church  porch.  As  I  approached  the  vessel 
of  holy  water,  a  woman  standing  there  stepped 
forward  and  stood  in  front  of  me.  I  recognised 
the  person  in  black  whom  I  had  seen  entering 
the  house  of  Juani. 

"  Konsov,"  said  she,  in  an  indignant  whisper 
in  Russian,  pushing  me  aside  behind  one  of  the 
columns;  "you — you  are  a  traitor." 

"  How  dare  you  say  that  ?     Who  are  you  ?  ' 
asked   I.      "If   you  are   Russian,    tell    me   your 
name  r 

"My  name's  nothing  to  you.     You  are  in  a 


THE     COUNT     ALEXIS     OR  I.  OFF. 


//t   a  as  neitht  r  revt  noefifd, , 

.  Vor proud,,  wicked,  and  deceitful,. 


ffe  was  beloved  fiy         .  I 
To  the.  Empress  true,. 


THE    WOMAN  IN  BLACK.  81 

conspiracy  against  her ;  .  .  .  yon  have  per- 
suaded her  to  go  ;  .  .  .  you  have  enticed  her 
into  a  trap  " ; — whispered,  with  agitation,  the 
Unknown,  gripping  my  hand.  "  Swear  !  . 
or  you  are  a  monster;  just  such  a  ruffian  as 
those  who  got  others  to  ruin  another  innocent 
— in  Schlusselburg  ! 

I  remembered  my  grandmother  had  told  me 
about  the  bloody  drama  of  Merovitch. 

"  Fear  nothing,"  said  I ;  "  before  you,  you  see 
an  honest  officer.  ...  I  am  only  fulfilling 
my  duty,  and  am  convinced  that  only  a  better 
future  awaits  the  Princess." 

The  Unknown  raised  her  hand,  and  silently 
pointed  to  the  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

"  I  can  only  repeat  what  I  have  already  said," 
I  whispered.  "  The  Princess  is  safe,  and  a  more 
happy  fate  awaits  her." 

She  shook  my  hand,  bowed,  and  silently  left 
the  church. 

I  followed  her  as  far  as  I  could  with  my  eyes, 
trying  to  guess  who  she  was,  and  why  she  took 
so  profound  an  interest  in  the  Princess. 


G 


CHAPTER   XL 

THE  DEPARTURE  FROM  ROME, 

It  was  the  12th  of  February.  The  day  was  very 
cold  and  northern-like,  but  withal  very  bright. 
The  Princess,  her  suite  and  servants,  took  their 
seats  in  several  carriages.  At  the  Church  of  San 
Carlo  she  distributed  rich  alms  to  the  poor,  and 
then,  followed  by  a  whole  crowd  of  artists  and 
nobles,  and  amidst  the  cries  and  shouts  of  the 
populace,  who  ran  after  her,  waving  hats  and 
caps,  she  left  Rome.  At  the  town  gates,  she 
signed  her  name  in  the  books  as  Countess  Selinski. 
She  took  the  Florentine  route. 

I  galloped  in  front,  while  Christianok  followed 
closely  behind  her. 

On  the  16th  of  February  the  Princess  arrived 
at  Bologna.  The  count  was  not  in  town ;  he  was 
awaiting  her  in  his  more  retired  palace  of  Pisa. 

The  noisy  train  and  crowd  of  servants  follow- 
ing the  Princess,  and  amounting  to  several  dozens 
of  people,  exceedingly  astonished  the  count.  How- 

82 


ORLOFF  AND    THE  PRINCESS.  83 

ever,  lie  received  his  visitor  very  respectfully  and 
cordially,  appointed  her  a  splendid  apartment,  not 
far  from    his    own,   surrounded  her   with  every 
comfort  possible,  and  at  all  times  conducted  him- 
self as  a  most  faithful  subject,  never  even,  before 
strangers,  sitting  down  in  her  presence.     Strange 
things  began  to  happen.     What  the   count  said 
to  the  Princess,  what  negotiations  passed  between 
them,  no   one  of  course  knew.      AYe  could   only 
surmise  —  as    we    did   very  soon  —  that   a    most 
hazardous  game  of  love  was  being  played.     And, 
indeed,   the    Princess    soon    afterwards    removed 
from  her  own  apartment  to  that  of   the  count, 
while  her  retinue  and   servants  remained  where 
they  were.     Christianok,   ever  since  the   arrival 
of  the  Princess,  constantly  tried  to  put  me  in  the 
shade.     He   exalted  his  own  services,  as  thouo*li 
the  whole  success  of   the   plot  was   due  to  him 
alone.     Of   course   my    pride    would    only    allow 
me    to   look  upon  all  this  with    contempt.     The 
count  could  see  for  himself  that  it  was  to  my  in- 
fluence alone  that  he  owed   the  arrival  of    the 
Princess. 

Rumours  began  to  circulate  that  Alexis  Gre- 
gorevitch  had  made  the  Princess  many  presents ; 
that  among  other  things  he  had  given  her  his 
own  miniature,  i^nted   on    {Yorj    and   encircled 


84  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

with  precious  stones  ;  that  for  her  he  had,  even 
from  the  very  first,  deserted  his  much  beloved 
favourite,  the  lovely  and  amiable  wife  of  the  rich 
Alexandre  Lvovitch  Davidoff,  a  born  OrlofL 
There  remained  no  doubt.  The  enchantress  had 
won  the  heart  of  the  count,  our  preux.  The 
lion  had  fallen  in  love  with  a  gay  butterfly. 
Dazzled  by  her,  the  count  no  longer  made  a 
secret  of  his  passion.  He  was  to  be  seen  openly 
with  her  everywhere — on  the  promenade,  at  the 
opera,  or  at  church :  it  was  all  the  same.  One 
day  the  Princess  did  me  the  honour  to  call  me. 
She  be^an  asking:  me  about  this  and  about  that 
and  assured  me  several  times  that  she  had  more 
confidence  in  me  than  in  any  one  else.  The 
count  also  was  always  most  amiable.  Christianok, 
seeing  me  ao'ain  in  favour,  had  recourse  to  a  little 
ruse.  The  cunning  Greek  began  to  complain 
that  the  Princess  had  been  very  sparing  in  her 
attentions  to  him  at  Rome,  and  that  he  could  not 
forget  it ;  she  therefore,  with  the  permission  of 
the  count,  gave  him  a  colonel's  brevet.  I  was 
passed  by.  I  bore  this  injustice  without  a  mur- 
mur, relying  on  the  confidence  reposed  in  me  by 
the  count  and  the  Princess,  of  which  I  was  soon 
to  have  proofs. 

"  Well  Konsov !  "  said  the  count  to   me   one 


ORLOFF  AND    THE  PRINCESS.  85 

day,  "  honour  and  glory  to  you,  who  have  known 
so  well  how  to  procure  me  the  opportunity  of 
making  myself  agreeable  to  such  a  person.  We 
must  prepare  for  her,  in  the  future,  a  quiet  and 
comfortable  life.  Is  she  not,  truly,  a  lovely 
creature  ?  What  a  lively  and  charming  character  ! 
I  must  say,  candidly,  I'm  almost  ready  to  marry 
her  myself,  and  have  done  with  my  bachelor 
life     . 

"Well  and  why  not,  your  Grace?"  answered 
I.    "  What  should  there  be  to  prevent  it  ?  ' 

"  She  won't  consent,  old  fellow ;  she  says,  '  I'll 
consent  only  when  I'm  in  my  proper  place.' 

"  How  so  ?  Excuse  me,  I  don't  understand. 
What  proper  place  ?  " 

"  Oh !   well,    cannot  you  understand  ?     . 
When    she   will    be    in  Russia,    at  home, — well, 
when   the  empress  will  condescend  to  recognise 
her  rights." 

"But  is  there  any  hope  of  that  ?  " 

Orloif  became  thoughtful. 

"  Well,  I  think,"  said  he,  "  that  it  might  be 
possible  ;  I  hope  her  friends  will  not  spoil  every- 
thing. They  follow  her  so  closely  here,  all  those 
Poles,  those  Jesuits  of  all  kinds.  Who  knows  ? 
They  may  poison  us.  They  may  shoot  us ;  or 
give  us  a  stab  at  the  corner  of  the  street  with 


86  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

a  hired  Kwjal.1     All  they  desire  is  a  person  for 
their  disturbances." 

The  count  seemed  very  much  agitated.  His 
frank,  open  and  intelligent  countenance  seemed 
troubled.  The  passion  of  his  heart,  working  as 
it  were  against  his  will,  could  be  heard  in  his 
trembling  voice,  in  each  of  his  words. 

The  day  ended.  The  count  did  not  leave  his 
visitor  for  a  minute. 

"  Here's  bad  luck  !  she  won't  listen.  Really  I 
don't  know  what  to  do,"  said  he,  one  day,  having 
summoned  me.  "If  I  could  find  some  one  to 
help  me,  .  .  .  some  one  who  could  persuade 
her. 

"  Persuade  her  to  what  ?  "  I  asked. 

"To  a  private  marriage,  and  then  flight.    .    .    ." 

"But  with  whom  ?  " 

"With  me!     .     .     ." 

"  What !  your  Grace  !  but  where  to  ?  ' 

"  To  the  end  of  the  world,  if  need  be. 
Ah,  yes,  while  I  think  of  it,  persuade  her  not  to 
carry  pistolets  on  her  person ;  the  other  day,  in 
a  passion,  she  nearly  killed  her  own  maid,  Fran- 


L/C/Sca.      ... 


Having  uttered  this    confession,    this  athletic, 
this    splendid    Apollo-like    count,     stood    before 


1  An  Asiatic  dagger. 


MARRIAGE  PROPOSED.  87 

me  as  flushed  as  a  schoolgirl,  and  his  eyes  were 
cast  down,  just  as  if  he  were  some  love-sick  youth 
awaiting  his  sentence. 

What  answer  could  I  make  him?  In  my 
agitation  I  Avas  silent ;  but  then,  as  always,  I 
decided  to  remain  his  most  devoted  and  obedient 
servant.  After  all,  what  was  it  ?  A  marriage. 
There  was  nothing  bad  in  that.  In  marrying  her 
the  count  was  only  obeying  the  dictates  of  his 
heart,  and  while  gaining  in  position  b}r  allying 
himself  with  Imperial  blood,  he  was  transforming 
the  "  Adventuress '  into  the  modest  Countess 
Orloff. 

^»  ■>!»  v(r  ?k  "Sjc 

Here  I  must  interrupt  my  narrative,  and  re- 
turn to  the  present— to  our  poor  frigate.  My 
God !  how  awful !  Tempest-tost,  the  Nortliern 
Eagle  for  five  whole  days  was  borne  no  one 
knew  whither.  All  the  reckonings,  all  the 
fathomings  were  being  done  in  vain.  To-day,  at 
dawn,  Ave  passed  Spain,  not  far  from  the  African 
coast  and  near  some  AA^ild  stony  islands.  We 
made  signals,  but  in  the  foo*  no  one  could  see  us. 
In  the  daytime,  having  finished  my  watch,  I 
remained  on  deck.  A  most  unbearable,  sultry 
coast-Avind,  a  boundless  expanse  of  water,  splash- 
ing betAveen   the  rocks,  a  ship   without   mast  or 


88  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

compass,  universal  despair,  and  not  the  least  hope 
of  beings  saved  :  that  is  all  we  have  before  our 
eyes.  The  first  reef,  and  we  are  lost.  Irena, 
oh !  far-off  charming  traitress  !  oh !  could  you 
but  see  all  the  torments  endured  by  the  poor 
rejected  exile  !  Night,  again  a  calm.  I'm  once 
more  in  my  cabin.  All-powerful  God,  give  me 
only  the  strength  to  live  through  this  night  and 
finish  writing  my  tale. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  PRINCESS  SEEKS  MY  ADVICE. 

The  exhausted  commander  sleeps  soundly.  Only 
the  sentinels  and  I  are  on  watch.  I  shall  begin 
now  to  relate  the  saddest  experience  of  all  my 
life.  This  experience  is  the  principal  excuse  for 
my  writing  this  confession.  May  she  who  caused 
me  to  wander,  an  exile  in  a  foreign  land,  remember 
that  she  was  the  involuntary  participator  in  that 
action  which  will  remain  a  source  of  regret  and 
reproach  to  the  end  of  my  life. 

It  was  at  Bologna,  to  which  place  the  count 
had  removed. 

The  Princess  had  desired  to  see  me.  She  kindly 
invited  me  to  be  seated,  and  took  a  chair  herself. 
I  noticed  again  those  two  hectic  spots  on  her 
cheeks,  that  her  eyes  were  literally  glowing,  and 
that  she  seemed  quite  beside  herself. 

"  Lieutenant,  I  sent  for  you  to  confide  in  you 
a  secret,"  she  said,  throwing  an  anxious  glance 
around. 

89 


9°  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  I  am  all  attention,  your  Highness,  and  you 
may  trust  me,"  I  answered. 

"  The  count  starts  to-morrow  for  Livorno. 
Did  you  know  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  answered. 

"  You  see,  there  has  been  a  quarrel  there,  and 
a  fight  between  some  English  and  Russian  sailors, 
and  the  count  wishes  to  invite  his  friend,  the  Eng- 
lish consul,  a  Mr.  Dickson,  to  settle  the  matter." 

"Well!  what  about  that?"  I  said.  "That's 
nothing  important ;  it  will  soon  be  arranged,  and 
the  count  will  return." 

"He  has  asked  me   to   go  with  him. 
What  if  I  refuse  ?     If  I  don't  accompany  him  ? 
What  do  you  think  ?     He'll  not  desert  me,  as  all 
the  others  have  done,  and  disappear  for  ever  ? ' 

"  Oh  !  but  why  not  go  ?  "  answered  I,  following 
the  idea  of  the  count.  "  It's  a  simple  promenade. 
Why  not  accompany  the  count  ?  The  weather 
is  splendid.  It  could  only  be  a  pleasure  trip  for 
you  both." 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  thoughtfully,  "  I  should 
very  much  like  to  see  the  town  and  your  fleet ; 
the  count  praises  his  sailors  so  highly." 

"Well,  and  what  is  there  to  prevent  your 
going  ? '  I  said  thoughtfully.  "  Yes,"  I  said  to 
myself,  "  it  would   seem  that  the  count  is  very 


"WILL   HE  NOT  DECEIVE  MET'  91 

persistent.  He  won't  leave  her  alone  for  a  single 
instant." 

"  All !  yes  !  I  was  forgetting,"  said  the  Prin- 
cess, as  though  collecting  her  thoughts. 

Looking  at  her,  I  could  see  that  her  eyes  were 
full  of  tears,  her  lips  trembling,  and  that,  though 
looking  at  me,  she  seemed  not  to  see  me. 

"  Listen  !  '  she  said  reluctantly.  "  You're  an 
honest  man.  .  .  .  The  count  has  made  me  an 
offer  of  marriage — has  proposed  to  me.  What 
do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

I  rose  respectfully. 

"  Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart,"  I  said  earnestly,  bowing.  "Your 
merit  has  triumphed  over  everything.  But  there 
is  nothing  wonderful  in  that." 

"But  will  he  not  deceive  me?  Will  he  not 
betray  me  ? '  whispered  the  Princess,  again 
glancing  around. 

Her  very  lips  were  blanched;  she  was  quite 
beside  herself. 

"  Tell  me  the  whole  truth,  I  implore  you !  You 
see,  following  his  advice,  I  carry  no  arms  upon 
me;  it  offends  him.      .      .     ." 

It  flashed  through  my  mind  that  just  during 
this  very  journey  the  count  might  persuade  her 
to  marry  him. 


92  PRINCESS   TAR AKA NOVA. 

"  But,  your  Highness,"  said  I,  and  those  fatal 
words  burn  now  in  my  brain  like  letters  of  fire, 
"  what  do  you  fear  ?  The  count  is  madly  in  love 
with  you,  that  I  know  surely.  He  sleeps  but  to 
see  you  in  his  dreams ;  even,  he  wanted  to  fly 
away  with  you." 

"  Then  it  is  the  truth  ?  Swear  by  the  memory 
of  your  mother,  of  your  father,"  said  she,  squeez- 
ing my  hand  with  all  her  might. 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  it  is  true !  I  heard  it 
from  his  own  lips.  He  honoured  me  with  his 
confidence.  Besides,  what  am  I  in  his  eyes  ? 
Nothing ;  the  meanest  servant,  the  merest  cipher, 
.    .     .     and  yet  he  told  even  me  openly.    . 

The  Princess  fixed  her  eyes  on  the  image  of 
the  Saviour  crowned  with  thorns  hung  up  in  the 
corner  of  the  room,  and  she  remained  motionless 
for  several  minutes,  as  though  breathing  a  silent 
and  fervent  prayer. 

"  The  brave  alone  live  !  '  said  she,  rising  and 
drawing  herself  up  to  her  full  height.  "  Once 
his  wife,  he  cannot  betray  me.  ...  I  shall 
go.  .  .  .  But,  remember,  I'll  not  give  up 
either  liberty  or  heart  without  a  struggle.  .  .  . 
What  is  to  happen  will  happen  soon.     .     . 

I  again  heartily  congratulated  the  Princess. 

"  Ah  !   another  thing,  Konsov,"  she  said,  stop- 


"THE   BRAVE  ALONE  LIVE!"  93 

ping  me.  "  Tell  me  truly,  in  all  conscience,  as 
before  God,  is  it  this  same  Orloff  who  helped  your 
empress  to  obtain  the  throne  ?  " 

"  The  very  same." 

"  How   brave  !    how  gallant !    what  a  hero  !  ' 
said   the    Princess,    with  animation.       "  Fearless 
Cid  !    Bayard !      A  spark  of    God's   Spirit  gives 
such  men  their  bravery  and  their  fearlessness." 

I  went  away  full  of  joy  at  the  successful  issue 
of  our  plan.  Still  I  had  certain  misgivings. 
"  Does  the  Princess  know  of  his  other  feat  ? 
Why  did  I  not  tell  her  of  that  other  dark,  un- 
pardonable sin  ? "  I  was  only  faithful  to  my 
duty,  obeyed  the  orders  of  my  superior,  but  could 
not  help  pitying  the  woman. 

Heavy  doubts  overwhelmed  me,  and  all  night 
I  could  not  shut  my  eyes.  "  Duty  is  duty,  but, 
if — ?  Should  I  go  to-morrow  morning,"  whis- 
pered my  conscience,  "  and  warn  her  ?  There's 
time  ;  let  her  think  well,  weigh  everything,  and 
then  decide." 

When  dawn  broke,  I  got  up,  dressed,  and 
hastened  to  the  house  of  the  count.  Before 
the  house  quite  a  crowd  of  people  had  collected. 
Carriages  were  driving  to  and  fro.  I  made  my 
way  through  the  throng.  The  count  and  Prin- 
cess had  already  taken  their  seats  in  a  carriage. 


94  PRIECESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Christianok  was  seated  in  another.     Some  of  the 
servants  occupied  a  third. 

"  Make  haste,  Konsov  !  Take  your  place.  We 
were  only  waiting  for  you !  '  Unconsciously  al- 
most I  took  my  place  by  Christianok. 

The  train  started.  After  the  heavy  rain,  the 
morning  had  emerged  into  a  beautiful  calm. 

"  What  do  you  see  in  all  this  ? '  Christianok 
asked  me,  when  we  had  fairly  started. 

"In  what?" 

"  Well,  in  this  little  voyage  ?  " 

"  I  really  do  not  know,  and  dare  not  guess,"  I 
answered. 

"  Well,  to-morrow  there  will  be  a  bridal  couple," 
he  said,  and  smiled.     "  They'll  be  married." 

"  But  where's  the  church  ?  " 

"What  is  the  Fleet  church  for?  They'll 
get  on  the  Admiralty  ship,  and  there  be  spliced 
in  a  trice.  But  of  course  it  was  only  for  that  she 
consented  to  go. 

"  Then  it  is  true  ?  " 

"  Well !  don't  you  see  it  yourself  ?  The  count 
seems  to  be  on  wings  ;  it  seemed  too  s^ood  to  be 
true.  So,  you  see,  the  fairy  tale  will  soon  become 
a  true  event." 

At  Livorno,  the  Count  Orloff  was  met  by  the 
commander    of   our   squadron,    Admiral    Samuel 


THE  "LITTLE    VOYAGE."  95 

Carlovitcli  Greig.  Afterwards  the  count  and 
Princess  paid  him  a  visit,  and  then  called  on  the 
English  consul,  drove  out  with  him,  his  wife,  and 
a  whole  circle  of  visitors  into  the  country,  and 
then  went  for  a  sail  in  boats  with  music  ;  every- 
where they  were  followed  by  a  curious  mob.  In 
the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  their  arrival 
at  Livorna,  the  count  and  the  Princess  went  to 
the  opera.  On  their  return,  I  noticed  in  the 
vestibule  of  the  splendid  marble  palace  assigned 
to  the  count  another  intriguing  Greek  also 
serving  in  our  fleet,  Joseph  Michaelevitch  Pibas, 
or,  as  he  called  himself,  De  Pibas.  He  also  some- 
what resembled  Christianok,  being  as  black  as  a 
beetle ;  but  being  taller  and  not  so  nimble,  we 
used  to  call  the  pair  of  them  the  Beetle  and 
Cockchafer.  De  Pibas,  as  I  afterwards  learnt, 
had  been  engaged  even  sooner  than  I  or  Chris- 
tianok, having  been  sent  to  Venice  to  collect 
information  about  the  Princess. 

"  Good-bye,  priest,"  said  the  count  to  Pibas, 
laughing  and  not  noticing  me.  "Mind,  don't 
forget  the  vestments." 

"  Vestments,  .  .  .  and  why  priest  ? "  I 
stood  under  the  marble  colonnade  bewildered, 
lost  in  thought,  hardly  seeing  .the  lovely  bine 
boundless  sea  and  our  squadron. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  u  MARRIAGE." 

The  22nd  of  February  was  lovely,  almost  like 
summer  in  its  warmth,  not  a  cloud  in  the  skies, 
the  sea  calm  as  a  mirror,  a  holiday  feeling'  in 
the  air.  The  English  consul  had  invited  the 
count  and  Princess,  and  all  their  suite  to 
luncheon.  The  Princess  arrived,  splendidly  and 
tastefully  dressed,  and,  as  always,  gay  and  lively. 
Where  was  her  illness  ?  She  chatted  merrily 
with  the  other  guests.  On  the  terrace,  adorned 
with  flowers,  she  walked,  carelessly  laughing  and 
joking.  Every  one  showed  her  the  greatest 
attention  and  respect. 

Count  Alexis  Gregorevitch  was  a  model 
cavalier -servant  of  the  Princess,  holding  her 
fan  and  her  gloves,  and  taking  from  the  hands 
of  the  servants  the  cool  refreshing  drinks,  to 
offer  them  himself  to  her.  All  noticed  that  his 
amorous  glances  followed  her  everywhere,  and 
that  she  seemed  born  to  new  life.     As  by  magic 

90 


"A   MODEL   CAVALIER-SERVANT?  97 

her  languor  had  disappeared  ;  her  preux  chevalier, 
the  tamed  lion,  was  at  her  feet. 

"  Ha!  our  Celadon,  what  think  yon  of  him?" 
whispered  Christianok.  "  Yes,  resting  on  his 
laurels  of  Chesma,  the  hero  does  not  disdain 
another  conquest !  " 

Admiral  Greig,  by  nature  of  a  very  taciturn 
disposition,  took  no  part  in  the  conversation,  but 
sat  a  little  apart,  extremely  stern,  sad  of  com>- 
tenance,  and  with  downcast  eyes,  seeming  to 
notice  no  thin  sr. 

Some  one  walked  up  to  the  window.  From 
there  you  could  see  the  blue  sea  and  the  Russian 
flotilla.  The  ladies  began  talking  of  pleasant 
sails  on  the  sea. 

"  Well,  count !  show  ns  your  ships,"  said  the 
Princess.  "  In  Civita  Vecchia  you  showed  them 
the  mock-fight  of  Chesma;  you  gave  others 
pleasure,  honour  us  also." 

"All  is  ready,"  answered  Orloff,  bowing  re- 
spectfully. 

The  whole  party  went  down  to  the  sea-shore. 
Count  Alexis  Gregorevitch  was  specially  respect- 
ful to  the  Princess.  He  himself  placed  her  shawl 
on  her  shoulders,  and  taking  her  parasol  from 
the  hands  of  her  maid,  opened  it,  and,  walking  by 
her  side,  shielded  her  from  the  sun,  all  the  while 

H 


98  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

whispering  in  lier  ears  the  most  passionate  pro- 
testations of  love. 

The  whole  crowd  of  spectators  collected  on 
the  sea-shore  looked  admiringly  at  his  general's 
uniform  of  dark  green  with  red  facings,  all 
covered  with  o^old  embroidery,  which  adorned 
his  splendid  figure,  and  on  all  sides  we  could 
hear  cries  of  "  Vivat"  mixed  with  whispers  of 
*;  Oh  !  what  a  couple  !  " 

They  all  took  their  places  in  the  boats  and 
barges  standing  ready  by  the  sea- shore.  The 
Princess  seated  herself  in  a  splendid  gilded 
barge,  ornamented  and  arranged  with  imperial 
luxury.  The  wives  of  Admiral  Greig  and  of  the 
English  consul  took  their  places  by  her  side. 
The  count  went  with  the  Admiral,  and  I  with 
the  retinue  of  the  Princess.  The  barge  floated 
in  the  direction  of  the  Russian  flotilla.  We  were 
received  by  the  squadron  with  the  greatest  pomp. 
Flags  waved  everywhere.  The  officers  in  their 
brightest  uniforms  stood  at  their  posts ;  the 
sailors  at  the  masts.  From  all  the  ships  floated 
the  most  delicious  music.  The  waves  gently 
rocked  us.  The  receding  shore  was  covered  with 
spectators. 

As  we  touched  the  admiral's  ship,  the  Three 
Hierarchs,    a   splendid    gilt    arm-chair    was    let 


THE   FESTIVITIES.  99 

down,  in  which  first  of  all  the  Princess  was 
pnlled  up,  and  then  the  other  ladies.  We 
mounted  the  trap.  The  ladies  had  hardly 
stepped  on  deck,  when  from  all  sides  came  cries 
of  "  Hurrah  !  "  and  cannon  were  fired.  The  sight 
was  splendid.  The  spectators  in  the  streets  and 
on  shore  merrily  Avaved  their  hats  and  handker- 
chiefs. All  were  in  high  expectation  that  Orion0 
would  conduct  the  manoeuvres,  and,  to  make  the 
illusion  more  complete,  would  burn  some  old 
useless  ship.  A  great  many  glasses  were  pointed 
at  us  from  the  shore.  Dozens  of  little  boats, 
filled  with  onlookers,  started  from  the  shore  in 
the  direction  of  our  ship.  On  board  the  Three 
Hierarchy  there  seemed  to  be  great  commotion. 
The  whole  staff  of  the  admiral's  servants  were 
running  to  and  fro,  with  trays  loaded  with  wine, 
bon-bons,  and  fruit.  There  was  dancing  in  the 
saloon.  The  younger  gentlemen  and  ladies  were 
dancing  with  all  their  heart  the  contre- clause  and 
cotillon.  The  wives  of  the  admiral  and  consul 
surrounded  the  Princess  with  little  attentions. 

The  ladies  were  soon  invited  into  a  special 
cabin,  where  presently  they  were  joined  by  the 
count  and  the  admiral,  who  were  busily  talking 
together.  The  latter  seemed  quite  out  of  sorts, 
and  very  gloomy. 


ioo  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  They  are  going  to  marry  the  count  and  the 
Princess,"  I  heard  one  of  the  officers  whisper  to 
another. 

I  was  dumbfounded. 

"  But  why  here  ?  "  asked  the  one  to  whom  the 
question  was  addressed.  "  Why  all  this  mystery, 
all  this  haste  P  " 

"  There's  no  Russian  church  here.  The  admiral 
has  lent  his,  and  that  accounts  for  the  Princess's 
arrival  at  Livorno,  and  her  presence  on  board." 

After  a  little  while  the  decks  beo;an  to  be 
deserted,  and  many  of  the  suite,  getting  into 
the  barges,  were  rowed  back  to  land,  amongst 
others,  the  two  cunning  and  clever  Greeks,  Ribas 
and  Christianok. 

On  seeing  them,  I  do  not  know  why,  there 
flashed  through  my  mind  the  words  of  the  count 
to  Ribas, — "Priest  and  vestments."  In  the  mean- 
time there  were  no  clergy  to  be  seen  on  board. 
The  deck  was  becoming  more  and  more  deserted. 
The  officers  were  walking  backwards  and  for- 
wards,  gaily  chatting  and  pointing  their  glasses 
at  the  occupants  of  the  boats.  The  band  played 
a  very  gay  march,  and  then  an  aria  from  a  well- 
known  opera. 

What  took  place  below  all  this  while  has  re- 
mained a  mystery.     Several  asserted  afterwards 


THE   "MARRIAGE:"  101 

that  nothing  particular  had  occurred,  but  that 
at  table  the  betrothal  of  the  count  and  Princess 
had  been  solemnly  announced,  and  that  all  had 
drunk  the  health  of  the  bridal  couple.  Others 
on  oath  protested  that  in  another  cabin  there 
had  been  a  mock  marriage  between  the  count 
and  Princess,  so  that  OrlorT,  in  her  eyes  at  least, 
might  seem  to  be  keeping  his  word,  and  that 
in  this  sacrilegious  ceremony  the  rule  of  Priest 
and  Deacon  had  been  played  by  Christianok 
and  Ribas,  who  were  dressed  up  in  the  vest- 
ments of  the  clergy  of  the  fleet,  the  first  act- 
ing the  part  of  deacon,  and  the  second  that,  of 
priest. 

But  I  am  running  on  too  fast ;  let  us  return  to 
the  deck  of  the  Three  Hierarchs. 

My  strength  fails  me  ;  my  heart  bursts ;  the 
pen  falls  from  my  fingers  when  I  recollect  all 
that  I  was  so  soon  to  see. 

Wherever  I  shall  be, — if  I  remain,  by  a  miracle 
of  God,  alive,  or  if  I  am  destined  to  perish  in  the 
waves, — the  remembrance  of  all  that  I  then  saw 
will  only  be  effaced  from  my  mind  with  my  last 
dying  groan. 

The  deck  was  full  of  life.  All  had  left  the 
cabins,  and  were  now  sitting  in  detached  groups ; 
there    was   laughing    and    talking   on    all   sides ; 


102  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

servants  were  running  to  and  fro,  with  cooling 

CD  '  O 

drinks  and  wine. 

The  Princess  was  leaning  over  the  side  of  the 
vessel.  The  wind  was  rising" ;  it  was  getting 
cool.  She  called  me  to  her  side  with  a  friendly 
nod.     I  helped  her  to  put  on  her  mantilla. 

"  If  I  live  a  hundred  years  I  shall  not  forget 
this,"  she  whispered,  with  a  happy  smile,  shaking 
me  warmly  by  the  hand.  "  You  have  kept  your 
word.  All  is  being  fulfilled.  I  shall  soon  be  in 
Russia,  and  once  there — why  not  hope  ?  They 
will  proclaim  the  future  Empress  Elizabeth  II. 
Oh !  now  is  the  time  for  wonders.  The 
present  empress,  what  was  she  a  little  Avhile 
ago  r 

Those  words  filled  me  with  astonishment.  I 
was  silent,  bewildered  by  the  wild  fantasies  of 
this  poor  blinded  creature. 

On  board  the  Three  Hierarchs  they  hoisted  a 
signal  flag.  Again  the  roar  of  the  cannon  was 
heard,  mingled  with  the  cries  of  "  Hurrah  !'  The 
bands  on  all  the  ships  again  began  playing ;  the 
flotilla  Avas  beginning  its  manoeuvres.  Enchanted 
by  all  this  attention  on  the  part  of  her  future 
subjects,  the  Princess,  still  leaning  against  the 
side  of  the  ship,  seemed  plunged  in  agreeable 
thought,  as  her  eyes  followed  the  curling  smoke 


THE  PRINCESS   GRATEFUL.  103 

from  the  shots  and  the  movements  of  the  different 
ships. 

I  see  her  now,  as  she  then  stood,  in  her  bine 
velvet  mantilla,  a  small  black  straw  hat,  and  a 
white  parasol  in  her  hands. 

I  also  was  lost  in  thought.  Yes,  all  is  finished 
now !  The  count  has  found  a  companion  for 
life.  He  will  know  how  to  persuade  her.  To- 
gether they  will  fly  to  the  feet  of  a  merciful 
empress. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

TREACHERY. 

"  Youe  swords,  gentlemen  !  "  resounded  a  most 
loud  and  commanding  voice  near  me. 

I  glanced  round.  Captain  Litvenoff  addressed 
himself  by  turn  to  all  the  adjutants  and  others 
in  the  count's  retinue,  demanding  their  swords. 
The  deck  was  covered  with  armed  sailors.  Ad- 
miral Greig,  his  wife,  and  the  consul  were  no- 
where to  be  seen.  Quite  bewildered,  I  surrendered 
my  sword,  as  did  all  the  others.  The  Princess, 
hearing  the  clatter  of  arms  and  loud  words, 
turned  rapidly  round.  She  was  as  pale  as  death; 
she  had  taken  in  the  situation  at  a  glance. 

"  What  does  all  this  mean  ? "  she  asked  in 
French. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  empress,  you  are  ar- 
rested," answered  the  captain. 

"  Violence  !  force  !  "  screamed  the  Princess. 
"  Help, — here,— to  me  !  " 

She  rushed  to  the  trap,  forcing  her  way  with 
her    feeble   hands    through    the   ranks  of    armed 

o 
104 


THE  ARREST.  105 

men.     The   sailors,   sunburnt  and  sullen,  looked 
at  her  in  astonishment.     Litvenoff  stopped  her. 

"  Impossible  !  "  said  he.     "  Be  calm." 

"  Perfidy  !  Malediction  !  "  madly  cried  she. 
"  How  dare  you — with  a  woman — with  a  Russian 
Princess.  Do  you  hear?  Let  me  pass,"  she 
cried  to  the  soldiers  in  French.  "  Where  is  Count 
Orloff  ?  Call  him  here.  Brins*  him  here.  You 
shall  answer  for  all  this !  " 

"  The  count,  by  order  of  the  empress  and 
admiral,  is  also  arrested,"  answered  Litvenoff, 
respectfully  bowing.  "  He  is  arrested  just  as  you 
are  !  " 

The  Princess  gave  a  loud  scream,  and  drew 
back. 

Her  reproachful  glance  fell  upon  me.  It  seemed 
to  pierce  my  heart  like  a  dagger,  as  though  say- 
ing, "  It  is  your  fault.     You  have  ruined  me." 

She  staggered  back  a  few  steps,  and  then 
fainted  away. 

The  sailors  carried    her    into   the    cabin.     All 

the  servants,  except  her  maid,  who  remained  with 

her,  had  been  arrested,  and  under  a  strong  escort 

had  been  transferred  to  another  ship. 

***** 

Shattered  in  my  innermost  soul  by  all  that 
I  had  seen,  I  recovered  my  senses  to  find  myself 


jo6  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

in  a  small  dim  cabin.  Lifting  np  my  head,  I  saw 
that  I  was  shut  in  with  that  dastard  Christianok, 
the  principal  author  of  our  misery,  the  perpe- 
trator of  the  treachery.  I  cannot  say  what 
astonishment  I  showed.  My  comrade,  at  all 
events,  was  very  calm.  He  was  lounging,  and 
eating  some  bon-bons  he  had  snatched  up  from 
the  table,  and  glancing  from  time  to  time  at  our 
closed  door. 

"  You're   astonished  ?  "  he  asked   me.     "  Is  it 
not  true  ?     What  wonderful  things  !     Yes  ?  ' 

"  Yes,  there's  enough  to  be  astonished  at ! '    I 
answered,  concealing  my  disgust  with  difficulty. 

"  It  was  impossible  otherwise,"  said  he. 

"Why?" 

"  Because  only  the  bait  of  marriage  could 
tempt  this  adventuress." 

"  Yes  !  but  why  play  with  her  feelings,  with 
her  heart  ?  "  said  I,  impatiently. 

"We  should  never  have  got  her  on  board 
otherwise." 

"  There  were  many  other  ways.  I  know  my- 
self that  the  count  promised  her  on  his  oath  to 
marry  her,  and  that  once  his  wife,  she  would 
have  trusted  herself  with  our  fleet." 

"  Ah  !    my    dear    Konsov,    what    simplicity  !  ' 
chuckled  the  cunning  knave.     "  Is  it  possible  you 


CHRISTIANOK'S  HEARTLESSNESS.  107 

Lave  not  yet  guessed  ?  Why,  at  the  very  moment 
when  the  count  was  playing  with  the  Princess 
at  the  most  tender  protestations  of  love,  I  was 
writing  under  his  dictation,  and  in  his  name,  a 
letter  to  the  empress,  telling  her  that  he  had 
decided  to  do  everything  to  catch  the  adventuress, 
and  even,  if  need  be,  to  tie  a  stone  to  her  neck, 
and  throw  her  into  the  river." 

"  And  why  didn't  you  straightway  drown 
her  ?  '  I  cried  out,  scarcely  knowing  what  I  said. 
"  It  would  have  been  far  more  merciful  than 
to  deceive  the  poor  unfortunate,  consumptive 
creature. 

"  She'll  live  long  enough,  yet,"  said  Chris- 
tianok.  "  The  orders  were  to  catch  her  quietly, 
cleverly,  without  any  noise.  That's  just  what  we 
have  done." 

I  heard  these  cold  hard  words  with  the  greatest 
indignation.  I  was  almost  beside  myself  at  the 
heartlessness  of  the  wily  Greek. 

"  No  !  enough,  old  man.  Calm  your  knightly 
feelings ;  that's  all  bosh.  In  our  time,  remember, 
the  most  important  thing  is  courage,  and  im- 
pudence itself  must  be  clever  and  sharp.  Success 
means  might  and  riches ;  non-success,  poverty, 
or  what  is  worse,  Siberia.  No,  you  had  better 
get  up.     Don't  you  see  that  it's  time  ?     .     .     ." 


io8  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Raising  my  head,  I  saw  that  our  door  was 
open,  and  through  it  I  could  see  the  whole  crew, 
walking  to  and  fro,  and  talking  gaily.  The 
Greek  and  I  were  taken  into  the  ward-room. 
There  on  the  table  stood  a  whole  battery  of  wine 
bottles.  The  room  was  filled  with  the  fumes  of 
tobacco  and  punch.  We  were  forced  to  drink, 
and  then  sent  on  shore.  There  I  learnt  that 
the  count  had  all  this  time  been  with  the  ad- 
miral at  the  consul's,  discussing  their  future 
movements. 

In  the  evening:  the  streets  of  Livorno  were 
filled  with  turbulent  and  indignant  crowds.  The 
Russians  shut  themselves  up  in  their  houses. 
Involuntarily  I  grasped  my  hat  and  cloak,  and 
taking  the  most  deserted  streets,  proceeded  to 
the  sea-shore. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

REMORSE. 

I  fell  down  on  tlie  shore.  Oh  !  my  Gk>d !  what 
anguish !  Tears  blinded  me.  Sobs  stifled  me. 
I  hated,  I  cursed  the  whole  world.  "How," 
thought  I,  "  could  such  a  dastardly,  godless  deed 
be  perpetrated,  and  I  all  the  while  a  partaker  in 
the  crime  ? '  My  whole  frame  shook  with  in- 
dignation, with  madness,  as  with  horror  I  turned 
over  in  my  mind  every  little  detail ;  thought  over 
all  the  disgusting  and  dastardly  meanness,  the 
fiendish  calculation,  the  treachery  of  him  to 
whom  I  had  been  so  faithful  and  so  devoted,  and 
who  had  not  scrupled  to  sport  witli  that  most 
sacred  feeling — love.  I  could  fancy  to  myself 
at  that  very  minute  that  poor  deserted  woman, 
half  killed  with  misery.  I  could  picture  her  in 
my  mind  sitting  in  her  dark  prison,  her  soul  torn 
with  anguish;  who  knows,  perhaps  chained  and 
watched  over  by  coarse,  brutal  soldiers.  "  And 
when  did  all  that  take  place  ? "  I  repeated  to 
myself.     "  When  all  seemed  so  smiling,  when  all 

109 


no  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

her  golden  dreams  seemed  ready  to  be  fulfilled.'3 
The  obscure  daughter  of  the  late  empress  had 
seen  at  her  feet  the  highest  dignitary  of  the  new 
empress.  The  whole  fleet  had  met  her  with 
cries  of  joy,  with  roars  of  cannon.  What  must 
she  have  felt  ?  what  must  she  have  experienced  ? 
From  under  the  rock  where  I  was  lying  I  could 
see  the  lovely  sunset,  gilding  with  its  last  rays 
the  top  of  the  hills,  the  crosses  on  the  town 
churches,  and,  fading  almost  entirely,  the  out- 
lines of  the  ships  at  sea.  "  Oh !  infamy !  in- 
famy !  "  I  whispered.  "  Count  Orloif  has  sullied 
his  soul  with  an  action  still  darker  than  all  the 
rest.  No  laurels,  not  even  the  laurels  of  Chesma, 
will  now  be  able  to  shield  him  from  the  justice 
of  God  or  man.  And  also,  according  to  our 
services,  shall  justice  be  meted  out  to  us — his 
accomplices  in  that  dark  deed." 

My  despair  was  so  strong  that  I  was  ready  to 
have  done  with  life. 

"  No ;  repent  all  thy  life,  repent,"  seemed  to 
whisper  an  inner  voice.  "  Search  for  means  to 
redeem  thy  dark  crime." 

A  gun  was  fired  from  the  flag-ship,  and  on  all 
the  other  ships  nearer  were  heard  the  strains  of 
the  vesper  music,  and  then  the  prayers  rose  on 
the  still  air.     The  sable  veil  of  nio-ht  descended 


THE   COUNTS  EXPLANATION.  m 

on  the  sea;  on  the  guard-ship,  and  along  the 
shore,  the  watch-fires  began  to  he  lighted.  I 
rose,  and,  hardly  able  to  drag  my  feet  along, 
crawled  home.  There  I  found  the  orderly  of  the 
count  waiting  for  me.     I  followed  him. 

"  Well !  Konsov  !  now  confess  you  were  a  little 
astonished,"  said  the  count  coming  to  meet  me. 

My  tongue  clove  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth. 
Well,  what  could  I  have  said  in  answer  to  him  ? 
He,  gifted  with  all  the  blessings  of  life ;  this  preux 
chevalier;  this  dignitary,  brave,  bold,  daring, 
courageous,  loaded  with  honours,  a  short  time  ago 
my  idol,  was  now  to  me  loathsome,  unbearable. 

"Do  you  think  that  I  don't  remember?  that  I 
have  forgotten  ?  "  he  continued,  avoiding  looking 
me  straight  in  the  face.  "  Oh !  I  know  well  that 
for  the  most  important  part  I  am  indebted  to  you. 
Had  it  not  been  her  faith  in  you,  and 
in  your  interest,  it  would  not  have  been  so  easy 
to  cage  the  bird.     .     .     ." 

The  words  of  the  count  literally  stung  me.  I 
stood  confused,  bewildered. 

"  But,  perhaps  you  do  not  know,  you  have  not 
heard,"  as  if  to  console  me,  said  the  count — "  do 
not  take  on  so — we  had  received  from  Petersburg: 
the  most  formal  and  detailed  instructions  concern- 
ing this  usurper,  this  person  who  had  taken  to 


H2  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

herself  a  name  and  lineage  not  belong^ nsf  to  her. 
The.  order  was  to  arrest  her  at  any  cost,  and 
bring  her  there.  Well,  now  have  yon  under- 
stood ?  " 

In  my  confusion  and  trouble  I  could  make  no 
answer. 

"  The  Pretender  is  now  in  our  hands.  The  will 
of  our  Sovereign  has  been  fulfilled,  and  the 
prisoner  will  soon  sail  for  the  north.  There'll 
be  enough  inquiries  set  on  foot ;  they'll  dig 
down  to  the  very  roots.  .  .  .  All  that's  not 
the  work  of  foreigners  alone.  I  think  there'll  be 
mixed  up  in  this  not  a  few  of  our  own  travellers. 
In  the  papers  of  that  liar  there  are  not  a  few 
well-known  signatures. 

"  Yes,  you're  rejoicing ;  there'll  be  again  new 
arrests,  again  inquiries,"  thought  I.  "  And  your- 
self, what  did  you  do,  stony-hearted  man  ?  ' 

"  Why  don't  you  say  something  ?  '  asked  the 
count. 

"  The  whole  town  is  in  agitation ;  there  are 
mobs,  screams,  threats.  Have  a  care,  count,"  I 
added,  unable  to  conceal  my  disgust;  "this  is  not 
Russia.  .  .  .  You  might  get  a  stab  when 
least  expecting  it." 

"Ah,  well,  my  fine  fellow,"  said  he  frowning, 
"  whoever  touches  you  or  any  other  of  ours,  or 


THE  COUNTS  EXPLANATION.  113 

even  threatens,  just  point  to  the  sea. 
Seven  hundred  cannon,  all  sweeping  the  whole 
shore.  I've  only  to  raise  my  hand,  and  the  whole 
town  will  be  level  and  clear.  There,  go  now, 
and  tell  every  one  that,  and  add  that  I  fear  no 
one.     .     .     ." 

"  Braggart !  '    thought  I  to   myself,    shivering 
with  ra^e. 

I  left  the  count  without   opening  my  mouth, 
and  without  even  a  bow. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   BOTTLE    CAST  INTO    THE   SEA. 

Several  wretched,  unbearable  days  passed. 
Livorno  really  rose,  and  began  to  threaten  us 
with  an  open  attack.  The  indignant  populace  by 
night  and  by  day  surrounded  the  palace  of  the 
count,  and  from  time  to  time  threw  stones  at  the 
building.  The  count  was  protected  by  a  body- 
guard of  sailors.  Boats  filled  with  ladies  and 
gentlemen  were  constantly  sailing  between  the 
ships  to  try  and  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  unfortu- 
nate prisoner.  I  was  sent  on  board  the  Three 
Hierarchs  with  a  letter  and  parcel  of  books  which 
had  been  confided  to  me  by  the  count,  as  I  learnt 
afterwards,  for  the  Princess.  As  I  was  returning 
to  the  shore  I  heard  a  cry,  and  turning  round, 
was  petrified.  At  the  open  window  of  the  Three 
Hierarchs  I  could  see,  pressed  to  the  iron  grating,, 
a  pale  countenance  and  a  hand  waving  a  hand- 
kerchief. I  also  answered  by  waving  my  hand. 
"Was  it  noticed  or  not  from  the  ship,  behind  the 
high  waves  ?     I  never  knew.     The  sailors   plied 


THE   RUSSIAN  STRANGER.  115 

their  oars  sturdily;   there  was    a  strong  breeze, 
and  the  boat  flew  on  the  dancing  waves. 

7j7  "7$  7&  7f?  *fc 

Rumours  began  to  circulate  that  the  fleet 
would,  soon  set  sail.  "Where  for  was  not  yet 
known. 

I  got  ready  to  go  out  and  learn,  if  possible,  if 
I  was  to  remain  on  the  Count's  staff.  I  was  just 
taking  up  my  hat,  when  some  one  entered  the 
room.  I  turned  round.  At  the  door  stood  a 
dark  figure.  On  looking  at  her,  I  recognised  the 
Russian  stranger  of  the  Church  Santa  Maria. 

Her  travel-stained  dress  showed  she  had  just 
come  a  long  journey. 

"  You  recognise  me,"  said  she,  throwing  back 
her  veil,  and  I  could  see  that  her  golden,  wavy 
hair  had  become  grey. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  '    I  asked  her. 

"  That's  how  you  answered  for  her.  Those 
are  your  promises,"  said  she,  advancing  a  step 
towards  me.  "  Where  are  your  assurances,  your 
word  of  honour  as'a  true  man  ?  " 

"  Listen  to  me.    ...    I  am  innocent,"  I  began. 

"  Dastards  !  ruffians  !  ' '  she  screamed.  "  They've 
laid  a  trap,  they've  enticed  her,  they've  ruined 
the  poor  unfortunate,  and  then,  think  you,  they 
will  all  go  scot  free?     You   are  easy  now,  you 


1 1 6  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

think.    You  mistake.     The  hour  of  retribution  is 
near  ;  it  will  come — it  will  come — " 

She  advanced  on  me  so  menacingly,  that  I 
retreated  to  the  open  window.  We  were  on  the 
second  storey,  and  the  window  looked  out  on  the 
garden.  I  was  very  glad  that  at  this  minute  the 
garden  was  quite  deserted.  The  noise  could 
have  attracted  eaves-droppers,  who  might  have 
insulted  the  stranger,  whose  visit  I  could  in  no 
way  understand,  and  who,  as  it  seemed  to  me, 
was  quite  incapable  of  being  convinced. 

"  You're  innocent  ?  "  she  asked.     "  Innocent  ?  ' 

"Yes.  I  acted  honestly.  You  will  see.  I'll 
show  you;  I'll  prove  it  to  you. 

"  Answer  me. — You  advised  the  Princess  to 
come  here. — You  persuaded  her  !  " 

"  I  persuaded  her." 

"  You  convinced  her  of  the  possibility  of  a 
marriage  with  Orloff.  No  prevarication.  You 
hear ;  give  me  a  straight  answer,"  repeated  this 
woman,  trembling  with  emotion. 

"  The  count  himself  assured  me,  on  his  word 
of  honour,  that  he  meant  marriage." 

"  Perfidious  betrayer  !  Death  to  you  !  '  cried 
the  stranger,  throwing  her  hands  wildly  about. 

I  had  no  time  to  step  back.  A  bullet  whizzed 
by  me.     I  was  blinded  by  the  smoke.     I  caught 


/  AM  SHOT  AT.  117 

the  mad  woman  by  the  wrist.  She  began  strug- 
gling with  all  her  might,  her  face  distorted  with 
passion,  and  once  more  fired  at  me,  luckily  with 
no  more  success  than  at  the  first  time.  Wresting 
the  pistol  from  her  hands,  I  threw  it  in  the 
garden.  The  noise  had  attracted  the  servants. 
I  heard  knocks  at  the  door.  I  flew  to  open  it, 
and  trying  to  appear  as  calm  as  possible,  I 
assured  them  that  having  unloaded  my  pistol  at 
the  window,  it  had  gone  off,  but  that  nothing  had 
happened.  They  all  left  me  and  went  away, 
throwing  side-glances  at  me.  Having  shut  the 
hall  door,  I  returned  to  the  stranger.  I  was  in 
a  state  of  mind  impossible  to  describe. 

"  Ah  !  ah  !  what  have  you  done  ?  How  could 
you?   And  for  what?     Why?" 

My  visitor  put  her  head  on  the  table  and  sobbed 
wildly. 

I  began  to  pace  the  room  up  and  down,  and, 
happening  to  glance  at  the  mirror,  I  saw  a  face 
which  I  could  with  difficulty  recognise  as  my  own. 

"  Look  here,"  at  last  said  I  to  my  visitor,  "  dry 
your  tears.  You  must  know  that  I  myself  was 
the  victim  of  the  most  abominable  deceit."  I 
began  relating  to  her  everything  that  had  passed. 
"  You  see,"  said  I,  finishing,  "  Grod  is  merciful, 
and  I  am  still  alive.    Now  in  your  turn ;  explain." 


u8  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

The  stransrer  could  not  for  a  lonsr  time  utter 
one  word.  Having*  given  her  some  water,  I  in- 
vited her  to  follow  me  into  the  garden.  Here, 
finally,  she  recovered  her  power  of  speech.  Two 
or  three  times  she  looked  at  me  humbly,  as 
though  asking  for  pardon,  then  at  length  she 
be^an. 

"  My  tale  is  sadder  than  yours  is,"  she  said, 
sobbing,  after  we  had  taken  a  few  turns  in  the 
garden,  and  had  sat  down ;  "  but  I  have  been  so 
guilty  towards  you,"  covering  her  face  with  her 
hands,  "  that  you  will  never  forgive  me." 

"  Forget  all  about  that,"  said  I,  recovering  my 
composure.  "  I  am  ready  to  forgive  everything. 
All  comes  from  God.  .  .  .  Every- 
thing is  in  His  hands.     .     .     ." 

The  stranger  turned  towards  me  her  pale, 
sorrowful  countenance,  and  taking  me  by  the 
hand  again  began  sobbing. 

"You  are  so  generous,"  she  whispered.  "Did 
you  ever  hear  of  the  fate  of  Merovitch  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  of  course  !  " 

"  Well !  I  am — the  guilty  cause  of  his  tenta- 
tive. ...  I  was  his  affianced  bride,  Polixena 
Pchelkina." 

I  was  speechless.  .  .  .  All  the  details  of  the 
attempt  of  Merovitch,   which    I   had    heard    ten 


EXPLANATIONS.  119 

years   ago    from    my   old  grandmother,    memory 
brought  back  vividly. 

Bending  towards  her,  I  took  her  hand,  the 
one  that  had  just  fired  at  me,  and  pressed  it  with 
emotion. 

"  Speak  !  speak  !  "  whispered  I. 

"  I  could  no  longer  remain  in  Russia,"  she 
continued  in  a  strange  hurried  voice.  "  For  ten 
years  I've  wandered  in  all  directions.  I  lived 
in  the  nunneries  of  Yolhynie  and  Lithuania.  I 
tended  the  sick  and  afflicted.  A  }Tear  ago,  re- 
siding on  the  borders  of  the  Yolga,  I  first  heard 
about  the  Princess  Tarakanova,  Dame  D'Azow, 
and  Wladimirskaya.  Persons,  quite  unknown  to 
me,  called  me  to  her  side.  You  can  understand 
how  I  longed  to  be  near  her.  I  tried  to  get  an 
interview  with  her.  Furnished  with  means  by 
those  same  unknown  persons,  I  first  made  the 
acquaintance  of  the  Princess  by  letter,  and  then 
personally  at  Ragusa.  I  instinctively  believed 
her.  Oh !  I  did  wish  her  happiness.  Retri- 
bution for  the  past !  I  took  care  of  her,  taught 
her  her  native  language  and  history,  counselled 
her,  informed  her  on  all  points.  I  followed  her 
everywhere.  After  her  departure  from  Ragusa 
to  Rome,  I  wrote  to  her,  exhorted  her  to  take 
care.     I  was   so  convinced  of  her  high  destiny. 


i2o  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

You  know  the  rest.  .  .  .  What  Avas  my  horror 
when  I  heard  she  was  arrested  !  But  I  shall 
remain  at  Livorno.  I  shall  wait.  .  .  .  Oh  !  the 
Livornians  will  set  her  free  !  But  tell  me,  what 
do  you  think  of  her?  Are  you  also  convinced 
she  is  no  Pretender,  but  really  the  daughter  of 
the  Empress  Elizabeth  ?  " 

"  I  can  neither  affirm  nor  deny." 

"  But  I  am  convinced.  That  idea  is  entwined 
round  my  heart,  and  I  cannot  abandon  it." 

My  visitor  rose.  Having  thrown  her  veil  over 
her  head,  she  fixed  her  eyes  upon  me,  pressed 
my  hand,  and,  looking  as  though  she  wished  to 
say  something  more,  with  faltering  steps  she  took 
her  leave. 

"  You  are  good ;  you  are  compassionate,"  said 
she,  turning  round  on  reaching  the  garden  gate. 
"  Till  better  times  !  " 

I  saw  this  mysterious  person  once  or  twice. 
I  went  to  her  by  invitation.  She  was  living  in 
a  small  asteria,  at  the  sign  of  "  The  Lily," 
within  the  walls  of  the  convent  of  the  Ursu- 
lines,  whither  she  had  taken  refuge.  She  still 
hoped  that  the  Princess  might  be  saved,  in 
England  or  in  Holland,  which  our  squadron  had 
to  pass. 

"  She  —  the    persecuted — she    is     sent     from 


"THE  NORTHERN  EAGLE:'  121 

Heaven  to  resuscitate  her  birthland,"  constantly 
repeated  Polixena,  at  our  last  meeting.  "  I 
believe  in  her.  She  will  not  be  lost.  She  will  be 
saved !  " 

*l*  Vfv  *$\  *J* 

In  the  night  of  the  26th  of  February,  our 
fleet,  under  the  flag  of  the  Vice- Admiral  Greig, 
was  suddenly  ordered  to  raise  anchors  and  sail 
for  the  West.  Chris tianok,  with  the  report  of 
the  count  to  the  empress,  travelled  by  land. 
He  was  ordered  to  go  on  to  Moscow,  where,  after 
the  execution  of  Pougachoff,  the  empress  had 
taken  up  her  residence.  Count  Alexis  Gregore- 
vitch  at  the  same  time  left  Livorno.  His  resi- 
dence there  was  attended  with  too  much  risk. 
Indignant  at  his  dastardly  act,  the  sons  of  the 
ardent  and  free  Italy  became  at  last  so  enraged 
against  him,  that  the  count,  notwithstanding  his 
strong  escort,  dared  not  leave  the  house,  and, 
fearing  poison,  partook  of  only  bread  and  milk. 

I  started  later  on.  As  if  at  the  dictates  of  a 
fatal  destiny,  I  was  ordered  on  board  the  newly 
manned  frigate,  The  Northern  Eagle.  This  frigate 
took  not  only  the  sick  men  of  the  crew,  but  also 
the  o-reat  collection  which  the  count  had  been 
at  so  much  pains  to  acquire,  consisting  of  pictures, 
statues,  bronzes,   and   other  rare  things.      The}' 


122  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

were  the  fruit  of  the  count's  victories  in  the 
Turkish  and  Grecian  waters.  Amongst  other 
things  I  found  several  presents  made  by  the 
Princess  to  the  count,  and,  to  my  astonishment, 
her  portrait,  resembling  so  much  Elizabeth. 
"  But  God's  ways  are  not  our  ways."  Hardly 
had  we  loaded  the  frigate  with  the  riches  of 
Orloff,  and  left  the  harbour,  when  we  encoun- 
tered a  most  awful  storm.  I  could  not  say  to 
the  frigate,  "  You  carry  Csesar  !  "  Long  were 
we  tossed  on  the  waves,  thrown  first  on  the  coast 
of  Algiers,  then  on  that  of  Spain.  Near  Gibral- 
tar our  two  masts  and  all  our  sails  were  wrenched 
away.  Finally,  we  lost  our  rudder.  For  more 
than  a  week  the  current  and  a  light  breeze  have 
borne  us  along:  the  African  coast.  We  have  all 
lost  courage,  and  can  but  pray.  On  the  tenth 
day,  that  is  to  say,  yesterday,  the  wind  quite 
fell.  I  go  on  writing — but  can  we  expect  to 
be  saved  in  this  condition  ?  The  frigate,  like  a 
lifeless  corpse,  maimed  and  disfigured  in  battle, 

is  borne  whither  the  waves  drive  her — 

***** 

Again  another  hopeless  day  has  passed.  The 
dark  terrifying  night  is  coming  on.  Clouds  are 
gathering ;  again  the  wind  is  rising ;  now  it  is 
raining.      The   coast  of  Africa  has  disappeared, 


THE  FATAL   CARGO.  123 

and  we  are  carried  on  to  tlie  West.  The  waves 
are  lashing  against  the  sides  of  the  ships,  splash- 
ing the  deserted  deck.  The  leak  in  the  hold  is 
getting  larger  every  minute.  The  exhausted 
sailors  can  hardly  pump  any  longer.  The  cannon 
have  been  thrown  overboard.  At  night  we  fire 
our  muskets,  vainly  imploring  aid,  but  there's 
not  a  sail  to  be  seen.  We,  doomed  to  perdition, 
are  alone.  No  one  hears  us.  Tragic,  awful  fate. 
To  be  lost  on  a  solitary  ship,  without  hope,  and 
with  all  the  spoils  of  the  commander-in-chief. 
When  will  the  end  come  P  On  which  rock  is  our 
ship  destined  to  be  wrecked,  on  which  fated  to 
founder  ?    Fit  retribution  for  the  action  of  others. 

The  fatal  car^o  of  Count  Orloff  is  hateful  to  God. 

*  *  *  *  * 

Three  o'clock  in  the  night.  My  confession  is 
ended.  The  bottle  is  ready;  and  if  there's  no 
hope  of  being  saved,  I'll  throw  it  in  the  sea. 

One  word  more.    I  should  like  to  let  Irena 

my  last  greeting;  my  last  wish. — She  ought  to 
know — Good  God  !  what  is  that  ?  Impossible  ! 
Already  the  end  ?  What  an  awful  crash  ! — The 
frigate  has  struck  something.     Ah  !   screams. — I 

must  run  to  my  crew. — His  Holy  Will  be  done. 

***** 

The   bottle    was    thrown  overboard,   with   the 


124  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

diary  and  a  note.  The  last  was  written  in 
French :  "  Whoever  finds  this  diary  is  requested 
to  forward  it  to  Livorno,  to  the  Russian  lady, 
Mistress  Pchelkina.  Should  she  not  be  found, 
to  Russia,  Chernigoif,  Brigadier  Leon  Rakitin, 
for  his  daughter,  Irena  Rakitin.  May  15th,  1775. 
Pavel  Konsov,  lieutenant  of  the  Russian  fleet." 


END    OF   PART   I. 


PART  II. 


RAVELIN  ALEXEEF. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

EKATEBINA   AT  MOSCOW. 

The  Empress  Ekaterina  spent  the  summer  of 
1775  in  the  alentours  of  Moscow,  honouring  with 
her  presence  the  village  of  Kolomensk,  and 
then  that  of  Chernaya-griaz,  which  she  had 
bought  from  Prince  Kantomir.  It  had  been 
named  in  honour  of  its  new  mistress  Tzaritzin. 
She,  in  buying  it,  intended  it  to  take  the  place 
of  the  Muscovite  Tzarskoe-selo. 

On  the  borders  of  a  dark  forest,  in  the  midst 
of  fallen  maples,  a  two-storied  wooden  palace  had 
been  hastily  erected,  with  a  few  outhouses,  some 
stables  and  a  poultry  yard. 

From  the  windows  of  her  new  palace  the  em- 
press could  admire  the  extensive  and  deep  clear 
lakelets  shaded  by  wooded  hills,  the  boundless 
newly-mown  plains,  with,  scattered  here  and 
there,  the  white   shirts  of  the  mowers,   and  the 


125 


126  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

blue  and  red  sarafans  of  the  hay-makers.  Be- 
yond these  plains  others  could  be  seen,  yet 
untouched  by  the  sickle,  sparkling  in  all  their 
emerald  beauty ;  and  again,  beyond  these,  the 
newly-ploughed  corn-fields,  and  behind  these,  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  green  plains  and 
wooded  hills ;  all  this  coloured  and  warmed  by  a 
lovely  sun  in  a  blue  cloudless  sky. 

Life  here  was  simple  and  free.  Through  the 
constantly  open  windows  the  scent  of  the  newly- 
mown  hay  and  of  the  forest  depths  penetrated 
everywhere.  Often  would  a  blackbird  fly  in  from 
the  river,  and  from  the  plains  came  the  grass- 
hoppers and  the  moths.  From  the  early  morning 
the  whole  Court  would  be  scattered  in  the  forest, 
picking  flowers,  looking  for  mushrooms,  fishing 
or  sailing  on  the  lakes,  riding  and  driving  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Ekaterina,  for  the  time  being 
clothed  in  a  simple  white  morning  robe,  and 
wearing  a  cap  over  her  simply  twisted  hair, 
would  be  seated  at  her  writing  table,  writing 
out  schemes  and  drafts  of  various  ukases,  or 
letters  to  the  Parisian  philosopher  and  publiciste 
Baron  Grimme.  She  complained  to  him  that  her 
servants  would  not  give  her  more  than  two  quills 
a  day,  as  they  knew  very  well  that  she  could  not 
regard  with  indifference   a  piece  of  white  paper 


"SIR    TOM  ANDERSON."  127 

and  a  well-trimmed  quill,  but  must  sit  down  and 
indulge  her  mania  for  paper  soiling. 

At  the  very  time  when  all  the  world  were 
tiring  their  brains  over  the  politics  of  the  Russian 
empress,  as  to  what  she  would  undertake  in 
regard  to  Turkey,  which  she  had  desolated,  or 
were  discussing  the  delayed  news  of  that  recently- 
stifled  insurrection  on  the  Volga,  the  late  execu- 
tion of  Pougachoff,  and  of  the  mysterious  Prin- 
cess Tarakanova  arrested  lately  at  Livorno, 
Ekaterina  was  describing  to  the  Baron  Grimme 
the  lives  of  her  pet  dogs. 

These  dogs  were  called  at  Court  "  Sir  Tom 
Anderson,  and  his  consort '  (by  second  marriage) 
"Mimi,  Lady  Anderson.''  They  were  such  tiny, 
shaggy  little  things,  with  sharp,  intelligent  noses, 
and  comical  wiry  tails,  just  like  brooms.  These 
dogs  had  nice  little  soft  mattresses  and  wadded 
silk  counterpanes,  stitched  by  the  hands  of  the 
Empress  herself.  Ekaterina  wrote  to  Grimme, 
how  fond  she  and  Sir  Tom  were  of  sitting  at  the 
open  window,  and  how  Tom,  with  his  fore-paws 
on  the  window-sill,  notwithstanding  his  contem- 
plation of  nature,  would  bark  and  snarl  at  the 
horses  towing  the  barges  up  the  river.  "  The 
views  around  are  lovely,  though  a  trifle  monoto- 
nous, and  Sir  Tom  is  delighted  with   the  woods, 


128  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

the  hills,  and  with  the  lovely  quiet  gardens  and 
manors,  half  buried  in  bright  green,  beyond  which, 
in  the  far-off  blue,  you  can  just  distinguish  the 
tops  of  the  golden  Muscovite  churches.  This 
village  wilderness  and  solitude  just  suit  the  hearts 
of  Sir  Anderson  and  his  consort.  Foro-ettin^  the 
noise  of  the  city  and  its  gaiety,  they  admire  the 
beauties  around  them,  and  it  is  only  at  a  late 
hour  that  they  allow  themselves  to  be  persuaded 
to  seek  their  warm  wadded  coverlets.  The  mis- 
tress of  the  house  also  likes  these  solitary  Rus- 
sian hamlets,  forests  and  plains.  I  love  these 
unploughed  new  places,"  wrote  Ekaterina  to 
Grimme,  "  and  I  must  say  that  I  feel  from  my 
heart  that  I  only  fit  in  where  all  is  untouched 
and  unspoilt." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PRINCESS  AT  ST.   PETERSBURG. 

The  fresh  and  clear  atmosphere  of  the  Musco- 
vite environs  began  to  be  foggy.  Clouds  were 
gathering,  lightning  darting,  thunder  rolling. 
The  Court  also  had  its  storms.  Ekaterina  had 
no  easy  task  in  investigating  the  insurrection  of 
Pougachoff.  He  astonished  every  one  by  pre- 
serving to  the  very  last  minute  the  firm  convic- 
tion that  he  would  be  pardoned,  that  they 
would  never  execute  him.  "  The  wretch  has  not 
much  sense — he  still  hopes!'  wrote  the  em- 
press, after  reading  the  interrogation  of  the 
Pretender.  "  Human  nature  is  unfathomable." 
Pougachoft*  was  executed  in  January. l 
About  the  middle  of  May  Ekaterina.  received 
information  that  the  squadron  under  the  com- 
mand of  Greig  had  anchored  at  Cronstadt.  The 
empress  sent  her  whole  correspondence  with 
Orloff   about   the     Pretender   to    the    governor- 

1  His  hands  and  feet  were  chopped  off,  and  he  was  then 
hanged.     He  himself  had  executed  hundreds  thus. 

129  ir 


130  PRINCESS    TARAKAN01/A. 

general  of  Petersburg,  Prince  Galitzin,  and  gave 
him  the  following  order  : — "  Have  the  voyageurs 
transferred  secretly  from  the  ship,  and  submit 
them  to  the  severest  interrogation." 

Prince  Alexandre  Michaelovitch  Galitzin,  de- 
feated by  Frederick  the  Great,  and  afterwards 
for  his  victories  over  the  Turks  elected  to  the 
post  of  field-marshal,  seemed  a  very  imposing 
personage  ;  but  in  reality  he  was  the  best-hearted 
and  most  modest  and  just  of  men,  and  an  entire 
stranger  to  all  Court  intrigues.  He  was  loved 
and  respected  by  all. 

On  the  24th  May  the  prince  summoned  an 
officer  of  the  Preobrajenski  regiment,  by  name 
Tolstoi,  made  him  take  an  oath  of  secrecy,  and 
ordered  him  to  start  for  Cronstadt  to  receive  the 
prisoner  who  would  be  given  over  to  him,  and 
carefully  hand  her  over  to  the  commandant  of 
the  Petropavlovski  fortress,  Andre  Gavrilovitch 
Tchernishoff. 

Tolstoi  fulfilled  his  mission  on  the  night  of  the 
25th  of  May.  In  a  specially  manned  yacht,  he 
sailed  down  the  Neva  very  gently  to  the  fortress, 
where  he  gave  up  his  prisoner.  At  first  she  was 
lodged  hastily  in  a  room  just  under  the  apartment 
of  the  commandant.  Afterwards  she  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Ravelin  Alexcef.    Oushakoff,  secre- 


PRINCE   GALITZ1X.  131 

tary  to  the  Prince  Galitzin,  had  already  prepared 
a  report  about  her  from  the  papers  sent  by  the 
empress.  Ousliakoff  was  brisk,  pannchy,  stout, 
and  always  panting  and  repeating  with  a  knavish 
smile  in  his  eyes — "  Oh  !  my  dear  fellow,  so  much 
to  do,  so  much  to  do  !  I  only  serve  the  prince 
for  the  honour  of  it,  but  I  ouodit  lono-  ao*o  to  have 
taken  my  abshiede,1  I  am  literally  worn  out." 

The  Prince  Galitzin  pondered  long  over  the 
report  of  Oushakoff,  drew  up  a  whole  list  of 
questions,  and  with  a  very  important  mien,  which 
did  not  in  the  least  become  his  good-natured  face, 
entered  the  prison  of  the  captive.  He  was  very 
much  put -out  by  the  news  which  he  had  just 
heard,  that  on  the  journey,  not  far  from  England, 
the  captive  had  nearly  escaped ;  that  at  Plymouth 
she  had  all  at  once  thrown  herself  overboard  into 
a  small  vessel,  which  was  in  readiness  for  her  (as 
was  easily  to  be  seen),  and  that  it  was  with  great 
difficulty  and  disregard  for  her  cries  and  groans 
that  they  had  managed  to  get  her  on  board 
again.  The  prince  was  afraid  that  some  one 
might  attempt  to  effect  her  escape  here.  The 
captive,  terrified,  confused  by  all  that  had  hap- 
pened, by  her  gloomy  and  dismal  prison,  did  not 
deny  that  she  was  called  and  was  looked  upon  as 
1  German. — "  Leave  of  Absence." 


132  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

a  Russian  errand-duchess.     She  even  went  so  far 
as   to    declare   that,   recollecting   her   childhood, 
she,  on  the  strength  of  circumstances,  believed 
herself  to  be  the  grand-duchess  of  whom  mention 
was  made  in   the  will  of  the  Emperor   Peter  I., 
which,    she    said,    she    had    found    among    her 
papers,  and  which  was  all  in  favour  of  the  late 
Empress  Elizabeth,  and  by  the  will  of  Elizabeth 
made  in  favour  of  her  daughter.     A  copy  of  this 
interrogation  was  sent  to  Moscow  to  the  Empress 
Ekaterina,  who  was  very  indignant  at  the  impu- 
dence of    the  captive,   and  especially   when   she 
found  a  letter  addressed  to  herself,  signed  "  Eliza- 
beth."    "  Well,  that  woman  is  afieffee  canaille" 
exclaimed  Ekaterina,  crumpling  the  letter  in  her 
hands,  after  having;  read  it.     Potemkin  was   at 
that  time  sitting   in    the  study  of  the  empress. 
"  Of  whom  are  you  speaking  ?  '   he  asked. 

"  Oh !     always   about    the  same   vagrant,    Ba- 
tiushka ;  about  that  Italian  vagabond." 

Potemkin, — who  really  pitied  Tarakanova,  for 
two  reasons  :  first,  because  she  was  a  woman ; 
and  then,  because  she  was  the  prey  of  Orloff,  to 
him  hateful, — began  to  speak  in  her  favour.  The 
empress,  without  a  word,  handed  him  a  whole 
parcel  of  German  and  French  newspapers,  and 
1  i.e.  "  A  good-for-nothing  hussey." 


"A   FIEFFEE   CANAILLE."  133 

then  told  him  that  he  would  do  better  to  look  and 
see  for  himself  all  the  calumnies  spread  about  her 
and  this  Pretender ;  whereupon  lie,  snuffling  and 
grumbling,  began  to  scan  the  papers  with  his 
short-sighted  eyes. 

"  Well ! '  asked  Ekaterina,  looking  up  from 
some  papers  she  had  been  glancing  at. 

"  Incredible. — So  much  slander  !  It's  difficult 
to  give  an  opinion." 

"  To  me,  it's  all  clear,"  said  Ekaterina.  "  Just 
a  second  edition  of  the  Marquis  Pougachoff ;  and 
you  must  agree,  prince,  with  me,  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  have  any  pity  for  this  '  victim,'  if 
you  like,  'of  foreign  intrigues.'  " 

Galitzin  received  another  order.  He  was  to 
put  down  the  impudence  of  the  adventuress, 
especially,  as  in  the  words  of  the  English  ambas- 
sador, "  she  was  no  princess,  but  the  daughter 
of  an  innkeeper  of  Prague." 

The  information  of  the  ambassador  regarding 
her  was  told  to  the  Princess,  at  which  she  was 
very  indignant. 

"  If  I  only  knew  who  slandered  me  thus,"  she 
exclaimed  furiously,  "  I  would  scratch  his  eyes 
out." 

"Good  God!  what  can  all  this  mean?"  she 
would  cry  out,  horrified  at  her  position.     "I  so 


134  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

ardently,  so  blindly  believed  in  myself,  in  my 
mission.  Can  it  be  that  they  are  right?  Is  it 
possible  that  under  the  load  of  these  horrible 
proofs  which  are  constantly  cropping  np,  I  shall 
have  to  bid  adieu  to  all  my  convictions,  to  all  my 
hopes  ?  Never,  that  shall  never  be.  I  will  rise 
above  all ;  I  will  never  give  in  ! '  That  her  pride 
might  be  taken  down,  the  captive  was  treated 
much  more  severely.  She  was  deprived  for  some 
time  of  the  services  of  her  maid,  and  of  many 
other  little  comforts.  Her  food  was  much  more 
simple,  almost  coarse ;  but  all  in  vain.  Neither 
prayers,  nor  threats  to  take  away  from  her  her 
own  garments  and  furnish  her  with  prison 
clothes  could  awaken  any  repentance  in  her,  or 
extort  from  her  the  confession  that  she  was  an 
impostor  and  not  a  princess. 

"  I  am  not  a  pretender,  do    you  hear  ? '    she 

would  scream  in  furious  indignation  to  Galitzin. 

"  You   are    a   prince ;    I    only   a   feeble  woman. 

In  the  name  of  the  All-Merciful  God,  do 

not  torment  me  ;  have  pity  upon  me." 

The  prince,  forgetting  his  orders,  would  begin 
consoling  her. 

"  I  am  pregnant,"  inadvertently  said  the  cap- 
tive, crying.  "I  shall  perish,  but  not  alone.  .  .  . 
Send  me  where  you  like — to  the  Eskimos,  to  the 


POTEMKIN.  135 

snows  of  Siberia,  to  a  convent.  .  .  .  No, 
on  my  word  of  honour,  I'm  innocent. 

Galitzin  became  thoughtful. 

"  Who  is  the  father  of  your  unborn  child  ?  '  he 
asked  at  last. 

"  Count  Alexis  Orloff." 

"  Again  a  lie,"  said  Galitzin.  "  And  why, 
what  for  ?  Are  vou  not  ashamed  to  answer  like 
that  ?  To  a  man  whom  the  empress  trusts  so 
highly,  to  an  old  man?" 

"It  is  only  the  truth.  Before  God!"  answered 
the  captive,  sobbing.  "  The  admiral,  the  officers, 
the  whole  fleet  can  bear  witness  to  it.     .     .     ." 

The  bewildered  Galitzin  put  a  stop  to  his 
interrogation,  and  sent  a  report  of  the  new  con- 
fession to  the  empress  at  Moscow. 

*  *  %  *  % 

"  Miserable,  impudent  wretch  !  "  screamed  out 
Ekaterina,  after  reading  this  report  to  Potemkin. 
See  how  this  new  edition  of  Pougachoff,  sent 
to  us  by  the  Poles — how  she  knows  how  to 
slander  and  calumniate  others  !  " 

"  Well ;  but  if  there  should  be  some  truth  in 
it,"  slowly  said  Potemkin.  "  It's  so  easy  to 
betray  a  poor,  weak,  confiding  woman." 

"  Oh,  that's  impossible  !  "  answered  Ekaterina. 
"  At  any  rate,  Orloff  will  soon  be  here.      He'll 


136  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

soon  tell  us  all  about  this  false  Elizabeth.    . 
And  you,  prince,  in  your  knightly  defence  of  a 
woman,  do  not  forget  the  most  important  thing — 
the    peace  of  the  kingdom.      We  went  through 
enough  in  the  last  insurrection." 

Potemkin  was  silent. 

From  day  to  day  Orloif  was  expected.  He 
was  hastening  from  Italy  to  be  present  at  the 
celebration  of  the  peace  with  Turkey.  At  this 
time  Gralitzin  had  received  other  orders, — to  de- 
prive the  captive  of  everything  except  what  was 
strictly  necessary,  to  make  her  put  on  prison 
clothes,  and  having  sent  her  maid  away,  to  put 
two  sentinels  as  a  constant  watch  over  her. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE  HISTORIOGRAPHER,   MILLER. 

The  obstinacy  of  the  captive  astonished  and 
angered  Ekaterina  very  much. 

"  How  is  this?'  she  reasoned.  "  I  have  con- 
quered Turkey;  Pougachoff  has  been  caught, 
has  acknowledged  his  imposture,  and  been 
publicly  executed ;  and  that  miserable, 

puny  woman,  that  adventuress,  .  .  .  will  not 
acknowledge  anything,  and  dares  to  threaten  me, 
from  her  cellar     .     .     .     from  her  den." 

Potemkin,  after  having  heard  from  Christianok 
all  the  details  of  the  arrest  of  the  Princess,  was 
very  morose  and  silent.  Ekaterina  ascribed  it 
to  his  frequent  fits  of  melancholy. 

Soon  it  became  known  to  many  of  those  about 
the  empress,  what  means  Orloff  had  employed 
to  entice  and  then  betray  the  unfortunate  cap- 
tive, and  these  were  soon  communicated  to  the 
empress  through  the  medium-  of  her  maid 
Perekousikhin.  At  first  Ekaterina  would  not 
believe  any  of  these  rumours,  and  severely  repri- 

137 


138  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

manded  lier  maid  on  tins  account.  The 
secret  report  of  the  honest  and  incorruptible 
Galitzin  concerning  the  position  and  condition 
of  the  captive,  all  the  courtiers  had  made  known 
to  the  empress.  The  womanly  heart  of  Ekaterina 
was  moved  with  indignation.  "  Not  Radzivill," 
she  said ;  "  he,  threatened  with  confiscation  of  his 
enormous  estates,  did  not  betray  the  devoted 
woman  !  " 

"  Betrayer  by  nature  ! '  shot  through  the  brain 
of  Ekaterina,  when  she  recollected  the  services  of 
Orloff;  .  .  .  "ready  for  anything,  unscrupulous 
in  all ;  stopping  at  nothing  in  his  own  interests," 
and  then  Ekaterina  remembered  the  phrase, 
"Matoushka  Tzaritza,  pardon.  You  didn't  think, 
you  did  not  guess — "1 

"Not  for  nothing  do  they  call  him  butcher," 
contemptuously  murmured  Ekaterina.  "  Oh  ! 
he'll  just  say  that,  out  of  devotion,  he  '  oversalted 
it.'  .  .  .  Well  !  he'll  soon  be  here.  He  must 
be  made  to  mend  that  affair.  That  fallen  one, 
without  family,  nameless,  tribeless;  a  toy  in 
the  hands  of  the  wicked,  in  his  arms  she'll  be 
powerless.  .  .  .  And  she,  after  selling  beer 
at  Prague,  well,!  how  dares  she  disdain  Russian 
dignitary  or  count?    Where's — the  mesalliance?1 

1  Ekaterina  is  here  referring  to  a  letter  of  OrlofFs. 


"HE  OVERSALTED  IT?  139 

The  calm  village  scenes  of  Tzaritzin  and  Kolo- 
menski,  began  to  weary  Ekaterina.  The  forests, 
the  lakelets,  the  birds  and  the  butterflies  no 
longer  brought  her  peaceful  dreams. 

The  empress  suddenly  started  for  Moscow 
alone. 

There,  in  the  Chinese  city,  or  Kitai-Gorod,  she 
visited  the  archives  of  the  Minister  of  the  Interior, 
where  several  important  papers  had  been  sent 
for  revision.  The  director  of  the  archives  was 
the  celebrated  author  of  the  "  History  of  Russia ' 
and  of  "  The  Description  of  the  Empire  of 
Siberia ; '  late  editor  of  the  academical  journal, 
"  Monthly  Compositions;'  traveller  and  Russian 
historiographer; — the  academician  Miller.  He 
was  then  already  seventy.  The  empress  herself 
was  very  fond  of  history,  and  knew  him  very 
well,  having  often  had  very  long  conversations 
with  him  about  his  works,  and  in  general  about 
history.  She  found  him  in  his  room,  near  the 
archives,  busily  turning  over  a  heap  of  old 
Muscovite  manuscripts. 

Miller  was  very  fond  of  flowers  and  birds.  The 
rooms  of  his  governmental  department,  not  very 
lofty,  were  hung  all  around  with  cages  of  black- 
birds, bullfinches,  and  others  of  the  feathered 
tribe,  which  quite  deafened  Ekaterina  with  their 


140  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

loud  whistling  and  twittering.  A  sdass  door 
opened  from  the  study  of  the  master  of  the  house 
into  another  room,  ornamented  with  large  plants 
set  in  green  tubs.  The  windows  were  open,  but 
a  net  which  covered  them  prevented  the  birds, 
which  were  flying  about,  from  taking  their  de- 
parture. The  neat  and  pretty,  although  simple, 
room  was  filled  with  the  perfume  of  roses  and 
heliotropes.  The  greatest  cleanliness  reigned 
everywhere.  The  floors  were  as  polished  as  a 
mirror.  Miller  was  writing  at  his  table  near  the 
glass  door  leading  to  his  aviary.  The  empress, 
passing  by,  motioned  the  officious  servant  away,, 
and  came  up  to  him  unnoticed. 

"  I  have  come  to  you,  Gerard  Feodorovitch,. 
with  a  request,"  said  Ekaterina,  on  entering  the 
room. 

Miller  jumped  up,  apologising  for  his  morning 
costume. 

u  Command  me,  your  Majesty,"  said  he,  hastily 
arranging  his  dress,  and  searching  with  his  eyes 
for  his  spectacles,  which  he  missed. 

The  empress  took  a  seat,  invited  him  to  do 
the  same,  and  the  conversation  began. 

"Is  it  true,"  she  began,  after  having  made 
several  gracious  inquiries  after  his  health,  and 
that  of  his  large  family,  "is  it  true  ? — it  is  said 


EKATERINA   AND   MILLER.  411 

that  you  have  collected  evidence,  that  you  are 
convinced  that  it  was  not  a  usurper,  a  pre- 
tender who  ascended  the  throne  of  Moscow ; 
that  Grishka  Otropieff  was  the  real  Tzarevitch 
Dimitri  ?  You  said  something  about  it — to  the 
English  traveller,  Cox." 

The  good-natured,  absent-minded  Miller,  al- 
ways lost  in  his  researches,  was  very  much  puz- 
zled at  this  question  of  the  empress. 

"  Where  on  earth  could  she  have  heard  that  ? ' 
thought    he.      "  Could    Cox    have    blundered    it 
out?" 

"Let  us  be  candid;  I'll  help  you,"  continued 
Ekaterina.  "Yoii  possess  a  wonderful  memory, 
and  withal  you  are  so  very  perspicacious  in  deci- 
phering and  comparing  manuscripts.  Give  me 
openly  and  boldly  your  opinion.  We  are  alone; 
no  one  can  hear  us.  Is  it  true  that  the  evidence 
for  the  condemnation  of  the  Pretender  was  weak, 
almost  nothing  ?  " 

Miller  became  thoughtful.  His  grey  hair  was 
ruffled,  and  his  good-natured,  intelligent  mouth, 
which  just  before  the  entrance  of  the  empress 
had  held  a  half -finished  cigar  in  an  amber 
mouth-piece,  was  now  unconsciously  nervously 
t  wit chin  o*. 

"  Yes,    it    is    true,"    he    answered,    hesitating ; 


142  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"but,  excuse  me,  that  is  quite  my  own  personal 
opinion,  nothing  more." 

"  But  if  so,  then  why  do  you  not  publish  such 
a  very  important  judgment  ?  " 

"  But,  your  Majesty,"  stammered  Miller,  look- 
ing about  him  with  a  bewildered  gaze,  pulling  at 
his  waistcoat,  "  I  read  the  account  of  the  re- 
searches made  by  Vassili  Shouiski  at  Ouglitoh. 
He  made  those  researches  by  order  of  Godounoft". 
It  was  to  his  interest  to  please  Boris,  and  he  did 
this  by  bringing  to  him  the  evidence  only  of 
those  who  affirmed  that  the  Tzarevitch  had  reallv 
been  killed.  Of  course,  any  one  can  see  that  all 
other  evidence  which  might  have  been  disagree- 
able to  Godounoif  he  would  suppress." 

"  Which  other  ?  "  asked  Ekaterina. 

"  That  another  one  was  killed,  and  that  the 
former  was  hidden ;  but  of  course,  you  know 
yourself,  that  this  very  same  Shouiski  publicly 
acknowledged  the  resuscitated  Dimitri." 

"  A  very  witty  proof,"  said  Ekaterina.  "  Not 
for  nothing  does  General  Potemkin,  great  ama- 
teur historian,  advise  me  to  have  all  that 
published,  if  you  are  really  convinced  of  its 
truth  ?  " 

"  Excuse  me,  your  Majesty,"  stammered 
Miller ;  "  the  Avill  of  the   empress — is  an  impor- 


THE    TZAREVITCH  DIMITRI.  143 

tant  guide ;  but  there's  another,  a  power  still 
higher — Russia.  I  am  a  Lutheran ;  the  body  of 
the  recognised  Dimitri  lies  in  the  cathedral  of 
the  Kremlin.  What  would  become  of  all  my 
researches,  what  would  become  of  my  own 
person,  amidst  your  own  nation,  if  I  dared  to 
assert  that  not  Grishka  Otropieff  had  ascended 
the  Muscovite  throne,  but  the  real  Tzarevitch 
Dimitri  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MILLER'S  REPLY. 

The   words  of   Miller   disturbed  Ekaterina  very 
much. 

"  Well,  candid  at  any  rate,"  thouglit  she ; 
"  just  like  a  philosopher." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  empress  ;  "  let  the  dead 
rest  in  peace ;  we  will  talk  about  the  living.  I 
think  General  Potemkin  has  sent  you  the  exam- 
ination, and  the  evidence  taken  in  respect  of  that 
impudent  Pretender,  the  arrest  of  whom  you 
have  heard  about,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Yes,  he  sent  them,"  answered  Miller,  re- 
membering at  last  that  the  spectacles  for  which 
he  had  been  constantly  searching  with  his  eyes 
were  on  his  forehead,  and  wondering  how  he 
could  have  forgotten  that. 

"Well,    and    what   have    you   to    say    of   that 
worthy    sister    of    the    Marquis    Pougacboff  ? ' 
asked  Ekaterina. 

Miller  at  that  very  moment  caught  sight, 
through  the  glass  door,  of  one  of  his  canaries, 
a   very    quarrelsome    bird,    who   had  just   flown 


144 


MILLER'S  " LUTHERAN1SM."  145 

into  another's  nest,  the  mistress  of  which  was 
twittering,  flying  round,  and  trying  to  turn  her 
out.  His  eyes  also  wandered  to  a  sick  blackbird 
with  its  leg  bound  up. 

Miller,  recollecting  himself,  and  colouring  at  his 
own  timidity  and  absent-mindedness,  answered, — 

"  The  Princess,  if  she  is  Russian,  learnt  Rus- 
sian history  very  insufficiently ;  that's  the  main 
thing  I  have  to  say,  after  reading  her  papers ; 
but  of  course,  that  would  be  more  her  teacher's 
fault." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  ?  Can  it  be  that 
there  is  a  spark  of  truth  in  her  tale  ? '  asked 
Ekaterina.  "  Do  you  suppose  for  one  moment 
that  the  Empress  Elizabeth  might  have  had 
such  a  daughter,  and  hidden  her  from  all  eyes  ? ' 

Miller  was  just  on  the  point  of  answering : 
"  Oh !  yes,  of  course ;  what  is  there  in  all  that 
so  very  improbable  ? "  but  he  remembered  at 
that  minute  about  the  mysterious  youth,  Alexis 
Shkourin,  travelling  now  in  foreign  parts,  and  in 
his  confusion  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  glass  door  of 
his  aviary. 

"  Well,  and  why  do  you  not  answer  ? '  said 
Ekaterina,  smiling.  "  Your  Lutheranism  does 
not  stand  in  the  way  here." 

"  Well,  everything  is  possible,  your  Majesty," 

L 


146  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

said  Miller,  shaking  liis  grey  curly  head.  "  Peo- 
ple do  say  all  sorts  of  things ;  some  of  them  may 
be  true." 

"  Look  here — would  it  not  be  strange  ?  '  said 
Ekaterina.  "  The  late  Razoumovski  was  a  very 
good  man,  and  although  secretly,  still  he  was 
the  lawful,  husband  of  Elizabeth.  Why  trample 
under  foot  all  the  laws  of  nature  ?  Why  this 
heartless  denial  of  their  own  daughter  ?  ' 

"  Then  it  was  one  century,  now  it's  another," 
answered  Miller.  "  Morals  differ ;  if  the  new 
Shouiski-Shouvalovi  could  hide  for  so  many  years 
in  solitary  confinement  the,  to  them,  dangerous 
Prince  John,  proclaimed  in  his  infancy  emperor, 
what  is  there  here  so  very  strange,  if,  in  their 
thirst  after  influence  and  power,  they  should 
have  sent  to  the  end  of  the  earth,  or,  at  any  rate, 
hidden  another  infant,  this  unfortunate  Princess  ?" 

"But,  Gerard  Feodorovitch,  you  forget  the 
most  important  thing — the  mother  !  How  could 
the  empress  have  borne  that  ?  You  cannot  deny 
her  heart  was  in  the  right  place  ;  and  then,  all 
this  was  not  about  a  strange  child,  like  Ivanu- 
shka,  but  about  her  own  forsaken  daughter." 

"Well!  oh,  it  is  very  simple,"  answered 
Miller.  "  Razoumovski,  I  should  think,  had 
nothing  at  all  to  do  with  it.     The  whole  intrigue 


THE  SH0U1SKIS.  H7 

was  brought  to  bear  on  the  empress — not  on  the 
mother.  .  .  .  Very  likely,  many  reasons  were 
brought  forward,  and  she  consented.  This  secret 
daughter  was  hidden,  sent  to  the  South,  and  then 
over  the  Urals.  In  the  papers  of  the  Princess 
she  speaks  of  poison,  of  flight  from  Siberia 
to  Persia,  afterwards  to  Germany,  and  then 
to  France.  .  .  .  The  Shouiskis  of  our  days 
have  repeated  the  old  tragedy.  In  guarding 
the  empress,  they  still  kept  in  readiness  for 
any  emergency,  a  new  refugee,  saved  by  them 
from  another  world." 

Ekaterina  here  remembered  that  Orloff,  in  one 
of  his  letters,  had  spoken  of  a  Russian  traveller, 
Ivan  Shouvaloff,  who  was  even  now  in  foreign 
parts. 

"  With  you,  one  might  go  on  talking  for  ever," 
said  Ekaterina,  rising.  "  Your  memory  in  itself 
is  a  whole  archive,  and  a  priceless  one,  too ;  and 
Russian  history,  is  it  not  true  ?  like  Russia 
itself,  is  richest  virgin-soil.  How  lovely  our 
boundless  corn  -  fields  !  But  then,  again,  the 
weeds.  Ah,  apropos  I  I  do  always  admire  your 
flowers  and  your  birds.  Now,  do  pay  me  a  visit 
at  Tzaritzin.  Grimme  has  sent  me  a  whole 
family  of  the  loveliest  cockatoos.  One  of  them 
is  always  repeating  '  ou  est  la  verite?9  " 


148  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Having  with  special  graciousness  thanked 
Miller  for  his  information,  the  empress  returned 
to  the  palace.  Soon  after  this  event,  the  hero  of 
Chesma,  Orloff,  made  his  appearance. 

Alexis  Gregorevitch  failed  to  recognise  the 
court.  With  new  faces,  a  new  order  of  things 
had  been  introduced.  The  count  did  not  at 
once  receive  the  honour  of  an  interview  with  the 
empress.  He  was  told  she  was  not  quite  well. 
This  made  him  feel  very  anxious.  Well  versed 
in  court  life,  he  scented  disfavour  in  the  air.  It 
became  urgent  to  take  measures.  Very  diffi- 
dently, Alexis  Gregorevitch  turned  to  some  of 
the  courtiers  to  try  and  get  an  audience  with  the 
new  sun,  Potemkin.  The  interview  took  place 
with  great  politeness  on  both  sides,  but  no 
geniality.  Their  old  friendship  and  fraternity 
had  been  left  far  behind.     They  conversed   till 

midnight,  but  the  guest  felt  he  had  learnt  very 
little. 

"  Yes,  now  it's  all  without  measure,  all  over- 
flowing," said  Potemkin  en  passant,  speaking 
about  something.  Orloif  long  pondered  over 
those  words.  "  Overflowing  !  " — well,  had  not  he 
also  filled  the  measure  too  full  ? 

In  the  morning  he  was  invited  to  ero  to  the 
empress,    whom    he    found    bathing    her    dogs. 


ORLOFF  AND  EKATERINA.  149 

"  Sir  Tom  Anderson,"  who  had  already  been 
taken  out  of  the  bath  and  wiped  dry,  was  warm- 
ing himself  under  his  coverlet.  His  consort, 
"  Mimi,"  was  still  in  the  water.  Ekaterina  sat 
near,  holding  ready  the  warm  coverlet.  Perekou- 
sikhin,  in  a  large  apron,  her  sleeves  rolled  up  to 
the  elbows,  was  very  energetically  rubbing  the 
little  dog  with  a  sponge  and  soap.  Quite  wet, 
and  white  from  the  soap,  Mimi,  on  seeing  the 
big  goggle-eyed  stranger,  began  barking  most 
furiously  and  straining  to  get  at  him. 

"  Ah !  from  water  to  water,"  said  Ekaterina 
jokingly.  "  Welcome  back  to  your  native  land. 
We  shall  soon  be  ready." 

Having  wrapped  Mimi  up  warmly  and  put  her 
in  the  basket,  the  empress  dried  her  handSj  and 
remarked  : — 

"  As  you  see,  friends  first  of  all ! '  She  took 
a  seat,  pointed  out  a  chair  to  Orloff,  and  began 
questioning  him  about  his  journeys,  about  Italy, 
and  the  Turkish  affairs. 

"  But,  oh !  Batiushka  Alexis  Gregorevitch, 
you  oversalted,  oversalted  it,"  said  the  empress, 
producing  her  snuff-box,  and  slowly  taking  a 
pinch. 

"  In  what,  your  Majesty  ?  " 

"  In     that     certain     little     affair,"     smilingly 


150  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

answered    Ekaterina,   menacing    him    with    her 
finger. 

Orloff  noticed  the  smile,  but  at  the  same  time, 
in  that  very  same  joke,  he  noticed  a  well-known 
— to  him — -bad  sign.  The  round,  strong  chin  of 
Ekaterina  trembled  slightly. 

"  In  what  ?  Matonshka  Tzaritza,  and  in  what 
is  my  crime  ?•"  he  asked,  stammering. 

"  Comment  done,  Monsieur  ?  Yes,  really  over- 
salted  it,"  continued  Ekaterina,  slowly  taking 
another  pinch  from  her  snuff-box. 

At  this,  Orloff,  like  a  child,  lost  all  self- 
possession  ;  his  eyes  wandered  timorously  round 
the  room. 

"  You  know ;  our  captive,"  said  the  empress, 
— "  Ob,  I  suppose  you've  heard  it;  she'll  soon  be 
two. 

The  athlete  Orloff  knew  not  what  to  do  in  his 
confusion. 

"  I  am  lost,  completely  lost !  "  thought  he ; 
and  his  disgrace,  his  downfall  arose  before  his 
eyes.     "  Mercy,  oh  God  !  " 

"But  that  we  may  arrange,  matters  may  be 
mended,"  continued  Ekaterina.  "  You  might  go 
to  Petersburg,  see  the  captive.  To  celebrate  the 
peace,  you  have  returned  to  her  as  her  bride- 
groom." 


ORLOFF  CONFUSED.  151 

Orloff  knit  his  brows,  bent  one  knee  to  the 
ground,  kissed  the  hand  that  was  held  out  to  him, 
and  silently  left  the  room.  At  the  door,  he  re- 
gained his  self -composure. 

"  Well !  what !  the  empress  !  What  did  she 
say  ?  "  asked  the  courtiers. 

"  I  have  been  honoured  with  a  special  invita- 
tion to  the  fetes,"  answered  the  count,  "  and  now 
I  am  going  to  Petersburg  to  arrange  my  brother's 
affairs." 

Count  Orloff  tried  to  seem  very  elated,  very 
proud.  .  .  .  He  understood  that  it  was  better 
for  him  to  make  haste.  It  was  clear  that  the 
empress  was  not  joking.  Under  pretence  of  an 
interview  with  his  brother,  he  hastened  the  pre- 
parations for  his  journey,  and  was  soon  on  his 
way  to  Petersburg. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

ORLOFF  AND   THE  PRINCESS. 

Worn  out  with  her  long  sea  voyage  and  imprison- 
ment, the  captive  dragged  on  a  miserable  exist- 
ence in  the  fortress.  An  acute  fever,  a  sharp 
cough,  accompanied  by  frequent  hemorrhage,  had 
develoj3ed  into  rapid  consumption. 

The  frequent  visits  and  questions  of  the  field- 
marshal  Galitzin  always  threw  the  Princess  into 
fits  of  passion. 

"  What  right  have  you  to  treat  me  like  this  ?  " 
she  would  say  in   an  imperative  voice.     <k  What 
reason  have  I  given  for  such  treatment  ?  " 

"Written  orders  from  a  higher  power — the 
will  of  the  empress !  '  answered,  panting  and 
puffing,  the  secretary,  Oushakoff. 

In  the  capacity  of  secretary  to  the  Commission 
which  had  been  appointed,  he  had  large  means 
placed  at  his  disposal.  Therefore,  continually 
complaining  of  fatigue,  of  a  mass  of  occupations, 
and  even  of  pains  in  his  spine,  he  lingered  over 
the   evidence,    brought   forward    a   multitude    of 

1E2 


THE  PRINCESS  IN  PRISON.  153 

facts,  began  a  long  correspondence  about  her 
affairs,  and  in  general  led  the  good-natured 
Galitzin  by  the  nose,  and  on  the  savings  made 
from  the  money  allotted  for  the  keep  of  the 
captive  managed  to  buy  a  nice  little  house  in  the 
courtyard  already  belonging  to  him  in  the  Goro- 
khoviya.1 

In  the  interval,  the  false  testament  found 
among  the  papers  of  Tarakanova  was  shown  to 
her. 

"  Well,  what  have  you  to  say  to  that?"  asked 
•Galitzin. 

"  I  swear  by  the  Almighty  God,  by  eternal 
damnation,  that  I  am  the  author  of  none  of  those 
unfortunate  papers.     I  was  told  all  that.'5 

"  But  they  are  in  your  own  handwriting." 

"  Perhaps — it  interested  me." 

"  Then  you  do  not  wish  to  confess  to  anything, 
•or  explain  the  truth  ?  " 

"  I've  nothing  to  confess.  I  lived  in  freedom, 
I  did  harm  to  no  one.  I  was  betrayed,  made 
prisoner  by  treason." 

Galitzin  began  to  lose  patience.  "  What  a 
;she-devil  they've  handed  over  to  me !  "  thought 
.he.  "  Extract  a  secret  from  a  stone  like  that  !  " 
'The  prince  groaned  aloud  and  rubbed  his  nose. 


1  A  street  in  St.  Petersburg. 


154  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  But,  your  Grace,  recollect,"  once  whispered 
the  officious  Oushakoff,  "  your  hands  are  un- 
fettered. In  the  last  ukase  it  makes  mention 
of  the  utmost  severity,  of  investigation  without 
partiality." 

"  Well,  of  course,  one  might  try,"  muttered 
the  bewildered  prince,  who  was  in  general  averse 
to  any  severe  measure.  "  Shall  I  try  ?  It  won't 
be  worse  than  it  is." 

"  In  the  name  of  the  empress,"  severely  said 
the  field-marshal  to  the  commandant,  in  the 
presence  of  the  captive,  "  in  view  of  her  obstinacy 
— deprive  her  of  everything,  except  the  strictly 
necessary  clothing  and  bedding.  You  hear,  every- 
thing— books,  and  other  things,  there ;  and  then, 
if  that  does  not  answer,  put  her  on  common 
prison  food." 

The  orders  of  the  prince  were  carried  out. 
The  poor,  ailing  girl,  brought  up  in  luxury  and 
comfort,  began  to  receive  nothing  but  black 
bread,  soldier's  Jcasha  (porridge),  and  sclii  (sour 
cabbage  soup).  Although  hungry,  she  would  sit 
for  hours  shedding  bitter  tears  over  the  wooden 
bowl,  but  not  touching  it.  On  the  way  to  Russia, 
near  the  shores  of  Holland,  where  the  squadron 
had  anchored  to  take  in  provisions,  she  had  read 
in  a  newspaper,  which  had  fallen  by  accident  into 


SEVERER    TREATMENT.  155 

lier  cabin,  all  the  past  life  of  Orion0,  and  trembling 
with  passion,  she  had  cursed  her  folly  in  having 
believed  in  such  a  man.  But  worse  misery 
awaited  her.  Two  soldiers  were  assigned  to  the 
captive,  and  kept  watch  in  her  room,  night  and 
day.  All  this  would  throw  the  prisoner  into  fits 
of  passion. 

"  Repent,"  Galitzin  would  say  to  her.  "  I  pity 
you  from  my  heart,  but  without  repentance, 
don't  expect  forgiveness." 

"  I'll  accept  every  torment,  even  death,  Sir 
Marshal ;  I'll  accept  everything,"  said  the  cap- 
tive. "But  you  are  mistaken.  .  .  .  Nothing 
can  make  me  withdraw  my  evidence." 

"  Think  over  it.     ..." 

"  God  is  my  witness.  .  .  .  My  torments  will 
fall  on  the  heads  of  my  tormentors." 

"  She'll  think  over  it,  your  Grace !  "  whispered 
Oushakoff,  turning  over  some  papers.  "  One 
more  experiment.     She'll  come  round  all  right." 

The  experiment  was  tried.  Her  Venetian  silk 
nightdress  was  exchanged  for  one  of  sackcloth. 

"  Almighty  God  !  be  witness  of  my  most  secret 
thoughts,"  prayed  the  captive.  "  "What  am  I  to 
do,  what  shall  I  undertake  ?  I  believed  in  my 
past.  It  all  seemed  so  plain.  I  was  accustomed 
to  think  of  it  all,  to  live  in  that  idea.      Neither 


i56  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

the  treason  of  that  monster,  nor  my  captivity, 
has  been  able  to  shake  my  conviction.  No,  and 
not  even  this  iron  dungeon,  which  seems  to  crush 
me,  can  do  that.  Death  is  not  far  off.  Oh  ! 
Mother  of  God,  oh  !  lowly  Jesus,  help  me.  Who 
will  give  me  strength,  who  will  guide  me,  who 
will  save  me — from  all  these  horrors,  from  this 
prison  r 


*  *  *  * 


^ 


One  cold  rainy  evening,  a  hired  carriage  with 
the  blinds  drawn  down  drove  up  to  the  perron  of 
the  commandant  of  the  fortress  of  Petropavlovski, 
Andre  Gavrilovitch  Tchernishoff.  Half  an  hour 
afterwards,  Orloff  and  the  commandant  walked 
in  the  direction  of  the  Ravelin  Alexeef. 

"Failing,"  said  the  commandant,  walking  on, 
"  failing  rapidly,  especially  with  this  dampness. 
Yesterday,  your  Grace,  she  begged  for  her  own 
clothes  and  books  ;  they  were  returned  to  her." 

The  sentinels  were  called  out  of  the  room  of 
the  Princess.  Orloff  entered  the  room  alone. 
Tchernishoff  remained  outside  the  door.  In  the 
dusk,  the  count  could  hardly  see  the  low-ceilinged 
room,  with  two  deeply  set  windows  with  thick 
iron  oratinofs.  Between  the  two  windows  stood 
a  small  table  with  two  chairs.  A  few  books  were 
scattered  on  the  table  together  with  some  other 


ORLOFF   VISITS   THE  PRINCESS.  157 

things,  and,  covered  with  a  coarse  cloth,  stood  the 
untouched  food.  On  the  right-hand  side  stood  a 
screen.  Behind  the  screen  was  a  small  table 
with  a  water-bottle,  a  glass,  and  a  cup,  and  sur- 
rounded by  chintz  curtains,  a  small  iron  bedstead. 
On  the  bed,  in  a  white  dressing  gown  and  cap, 
lay  a  girl,  so  pale,  one  might  think  she  was  dead, 
covered  with  a  blue  velvet  mantilla. 

Orloff  was  struck  by  the  frail  look  of  her,  who 
such  a  short  time  ago  had  been  so  stately,  and  so 
charmingly  beautiful.  There  flashed  across  his 
mind  remembrances  of  Italy,  tender  letters,  the 
ardent  courtship,  the  journey  to  Livorno,  the  feast 
on  the  ship,  Ribas  and  Christianok  travestied  in 
the  old  clerical  vestments.  "  Oh !  why  did  I 
play  that  comedy  with  the  marriage  ceremony  ? ' 
thought  he.  "  She  was  really  on  board  my  ship, 
in  my  hands."  And  vividly  there  flashed  through 
his  mind  the  picture  of  the  arrest  of  the  Princess. 
He  remembered  her  cries  on  deck,  and  the  next 
day  his  message  to  her  through  Konsov,  a  letter 
in  German,  describing  his  own  false  sorrow,  oaths 
of  faithfulness  till  death,  and  assurances  of  love. 
"What  sorrow  has  fallen  upon  us" — trying  to 
write  the  most  tender  words,  he  had  said.  "  We 
are  both  arrested,  in  chains ;  but  God,  the  All- 
merciful,  will  not  forsake  us.    Let  us  put  our  trust 


158  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

in  Him.  As  soon  as  I  get  my  liberty,  I'll  search 
the  whole  world  till  I  find  yon,  to  guard  and 
serve  yon  all  my  life."  "  And  I  have  found  her ; 
here  she  is !  "  thought  Orloff,  involuntarily  shud- 
dering, not  daring  to  cross  the  threshold.  At 
last  he  ventured  near  her,  close  to  the  screen. 
At  the  sound,  the  unfortunate  girl  opened  her 
eyes,  looked  at  her  visitor,  and  rose.  Her  auburn 
hair,  at  one  time  so  luxuriant,  fell  from  under  her 
cap,  and  half-covered  her  poor  pale  face,  dis- 
torted by  illness  and  passion. 

"  You  ?  You — in  this  room — near  me  !  " 
screamed  out  the  Princess,  recognising  her 
visitor,  and  stretching  out  both  her  hands  in 
front  of  her,  as  though  driving  away  some  awful 
apparition. 

Orloff  stood  motionless. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

ORLOFF'S  INTERVIEW   WITH  THE  PRINCESS 

The  words  seemed  to  burst  from  her  throat,  and 
die  upon  her  lips.  She  threw  herself  back  on 
the  bed  to  the  farthest  side  of  the  wall,  where 
with  flaming  eyes  she  looked  ready  to  devour 
Orloif,  who  stood  gazing  at  her  horror-stricken. 

"  Yes  !  we  are  married,  are  we  not  ?  Ha,  ha, 
ha  !  we  are  man  and  wife  ?  "  said  she,  but  a  con- 
vulsive cough  cut  short  her  indignation  for  the 
moment.  "  Where  have  you  been  all  this  time  ? 
You  promised,  I  waited." 

"  Look  here,"  gently  said  Orloff,  "  let  us  forget 
the  past,  let  us  play  comedy  no  longer.  You 
must  realize  by  this  time  that  I  was  the  faithful 
slave  of  my  sovereign,  and  that  I  only  obeyed 
her  commands." 

"  Treachery,  deceit !  '  screamed  the  unhappy 
girl ;  "  never  will  I  believe  it.  .  .  .  Do  you  hear 
me?  The  great  and  powerful  Russian  empress 
would  never  have  had  recourse  to  such  perfidy." 

"  I  swear  to  you  they  were  her  orders.     .     .     ." 


159 


160  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"No,  I  do  not  believe  one  word  of  it,  traitor," 
screamed  the  unfortunate  girl,  shaking  her  fists 
at  him.     "  Ekaterina  could  command  anything — 


demand  my  surrender,  burn  down  the  town  that 
gave  me  refuge,  take  me  by  force,  but  not  that. 
But  you,  you  yourself,  might  have  pierced  me 
with  a  dagger,  poisoned  me.  You  knew  of 
poisons, — but  what  have  you  done  with  me  ? 
what  ?  " 

"  One  moment  of  calmness,  I  implore  you,"  at 
last  said  Orloff.  "  Answer  me  one  word,  only  one 
— and  I  promise  you,  on  my  word  of  honour, 
that  you  shall  be  set  free  immediately. 

"What  new  invention  is  that,  monster  ?  Speak, 
traitor,"  said  the  Princess,  recovering  some  com- 
posure, as  shudderingly  she  drew  the  blue  man- 
tilla, so  well  known  to  the  count,  closer  around 
her. 

"  You  have  been  questioned  so  long,  and  with 
such  persistency,"  began  Orloff,  trying  to  give 
his  voice  a  tender  and  convincing  tone,  "  tell  me 
now  all — we  are  alone ;  God  only  can  see  and 
hear  us." 

"Gran  Dio!"  said  the  unfortunate  girl,  "he 
invokes  the  name  of  God,"  added  she,  raising  her 
eyes  to  the  image  of  the  Saviour  which  hung  on 
the  wall  over  the  head  of  her  bed  ;  "  he  !     Very 


'Teter  created    Russia, 
' £katerina    gave    her  a   soul/ 


THE  INTERVIEW.  161 

likely  you  have  arranged  tins  slow  torture,  this 
torment !  and  yet  you  boasted  that  torture  was 
abolished  here.  The  empress,  I  am  sure,  knows 
nothing  of  all  this.  In  this  matter  she  has  been 
deceived,  as  in  everything  else." 

"Be  calm,  be  calm.  .  .  .  Tell  me,  who 
are  you?"  continued  Orloff;  "hide  nothing. 
I'll  implore  the  empress  ;  she  will  be  merciful 
to  you  and  to  me.     .     .     ." 

"  Dlavolo  !  he  asks,  '  Who  am  I ! '  "  she 
stammered,  half  stifled  by  a  new  fit  of  anger. 
"  But  cannot  you  see  I  have  done  with  the  world  ? 
I  am  dying ;  then  to  what  end  all  this?"  She 
again  began  to  cough  most  awfully,  and  leaning 
her  head  against  the  wall,  was  silent. 

"  There, — she'll  die  without  having:  confessed 
anything,"  thought  Orloff,  as  he  stood  by  her. 

"  In  riches  and  in  happiness,"  said  she,  coming 
to  herself,  "  in  humiliation  and  in  prison,  I  re- 
peat constantly  the  same  thing — and  you  know  it 
well.  I  am  the  daughter  of  your  late  empress," 
proudly  said  she,  rising.  "  Do  you  hear  me, 
miserable,  wretched  slave,  I  am  your  born  grand- 
duchess.  .  .  ."  A  bold  idea  flashed  through 
Orloff' s  mind.  .  .  .  "Ah!  what's  in  a  word?" 
thought  he ;  "  she  won't  live  long,  and  at  one 
stroke  I'll  please  them  both." 

M 


162  rRLXCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

He  bent  on  one  knee,  grasped  the  frail  pale 
hand  of  the  captive,  and  ardently  pressed  it  to 
his  lips. 

"  Your  Highness  !  "  stammered  he.  "  Elise  ! 
pardon,  I  swear — yes,  I  am  guilty, — but  those 
were  the  orders.  I  myself  was  arrested.  Only 
now  have  I  received  my  liberty.     .     .     ." 

The  poor  girl  raised  her  big,  astonished  eyes 
to  his  face,  covering  her  mouth  with  her  hand- 
kerchief to  stop  the  blood. 

"  I  implore  you,  I  promise  you,  we  will  be 
really  solemnly  married,"  continued  Orloff.  "  You 
shall  be  my  wife — and  then,  your  Highness — my 
darling,     .     .  .     my  own  Elise,  rank,  riches, 

faithfulness,  life-long  devotion.     .     .     ." 

"  Out !  away  !  monster  !  "  screamed  the  cap- 
tive, jumping  up.  "  This  bruised  hand  princes, 
kings  sought — it's  not  for  you  to  touch  it, 
branded  traitor,  inquisitor." 

"Well,  she  doesn't  choose  her  words,"  thought 
to  himself  the  Commandant  Tchernishoff,  who, 
standing  outside  the  door,  could  easily  hear  the 
French  abuses  and  the  curses  of  the  prisoner ; 
"better  take  myself  off.  If  the  count  knows  all 
this  has  been  heard,  his  little  vanity  will  be 
pricked,  and  it  is  just  possible  he  may  take  his 
revenge."      The  commandant  walked  off. 


"SHE  IS  A    SERPEN 7)   A    VIPER!"  163 

The  jailer,  standing  in  the  long  corridor,  with 
his  keys,  and  also  hearing  the,  to  him,  qnite 
unintelligible  cries,  the  stamping  of  feet,  and,  as 
it  seemed  to  him,  the  noise  of  things  being  thrown 
at  the  visitor,  also  walked  off  into  a  corner,  think- 
ing to  himself  :  "  Ha,  ha,  Mamzoulka  (Mademoi- 
selle), it  seems,  is  asking  for  better  food;  it 
seems  it's  not  in  the  articles.  She's  screaming  at 
the  general,  oho  !  Of  course  it's  not  for  such  as 
she,  so  thin,  to  eat  schi  and  schi.  Yesterday,  for 
the  first  time,  they  gave  her  milk."  The  furious 
screams  continued.  Then  came  the  sound  of 
broken  glass.  The  door  of  the  dungeon  was  flung 
open  rapidly,  and  Orloff,  humbly  bending  under 
the  door,  too  low  for  his  tall  person,  came  out. 
His  face  was  purple ;  he  lingered  for  a  moment  in 
the  corridor,  and  stared  about  him,  as  if  collect- 
ing his  thoughts.  Having  felt  under  his  arm  for 
his  cocked  hat,  passed  his  fingers  through  his 
hair,  and  pulled  down  his  coat,  he  briskly  and 
smartly  drew  himself  up,  and  silently  walked  out 
in  the  pouring  rain,  jumped  into  the  carriage, 
and    shouted    to   the    coachman,    "  General    Pro- 


cureur.': 


As  he  left  the  fortress  behind  him,  Orloff  be- 
gan turning  over  in  his  mind  the  details  of  the 
last  interview. 


1 64  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  Well,  she  is  a  serpent,  a  viper  !  "  lie  whispered 
to  himself,  looking  out  into  the  streets  from  the 
carriage  window :  "  didn't  she  sting  !  " 

Very  reservedly,  and  with  plenty  of  self- com- 
posure, he  entered  the  house  of  the  Prince 
Alexander  Alexeeovitch  Viazimski.  It  was  al- 
ready late.  The  candles  were  lighted.  Orloff 
shivered,  and  rubbed  his  hands  together. 

"  Take  a  seat,"  said  the  general  procureur. 
"What!  cold?" 

"  Yes,  prince,  a  little." 

Viazimski  ordered  a  servant  to  bring  in  liqueurs. 
The  servant  soon  came,  bringing  a  lovely  decan- 
ter, and  a  silver  basket  containing  ginger  biscuits. 

"  Pray  help  yourself,  count.  .  .  .  Well ! 
what  about  our  usurper  ? ' '  continued  the  general 
procureur,  putting  aside  some  papers  that  he  had 
just  been  looking  over. 

"  Impudent  beyond  all  bounds ;  still  persists 
.  .  ."  answered  Count  Alexis,  pouring  himself 
out  a  wineglassful  of  the  rich  liqueur,  and  raising 
it  first  to  his  nose,  and  then  to  his  lips. 

"  Well,  of  course  !  "  said  the  prince  ;  "  she  has 
no  wish  to  part  with  her  so-called  titles  and 
rights  cheaply." 

"  Oh  !  she'll  give  plenty  of  trouble  yet ;  other 
measures  than  those  are  wanted,"  said  Orloff. 


ORLOFF  AT  THE  PROCUREUR'S.  165 

"But  what  others,  Batienka  ?  Her  last  minutes 
are  drawing:  near.  .  .  .  You  would  not  have 
her  strangled  ?  " 

"  And  why  not  ? "  whispered  Orloff,  as  if  to 
himself,  dipping  a  biscuit  into  a  fresh  glass  ol 
liqueur  .     "  Pity  for  such  like  !  " 

The  general  procureur  threw  a  side-long  glance 
from  behind  the  green  abat-jour  on  his  visitor. 
"  And  you're  not  joking,  Alexis  Gregorevitch  ? 
It's  your  advice  ?  " 

"  Oh !  for  the  good  of  my  country,  and  like  a 
true  patriot — not  only  would  I  advise,  but  very 
much  recommend,"  answered  Orloff,  walking 
backwards  and  forwards,  munching  the  sweet 
melting  biscuits. 

"  Mais,  c'est  un  assassin  dans  Vdrne  /"  thought 
to  himself  the  great  judge,1  whose  personal  ap- 
pearance was  austere  and  generally  gloomy,  as 
he  listened  in  horror  to  the  soft,  cat-like  tread 
of  Orloff  on  the  carpet ;  "  c'est  en  Iwi  comme  une 
mauvaise  habitude  !  " 

Orloff  took  out  his  eye-glass,  and,  biting  a  fresh 
biscuit,  began  to  admire  a  picture  of  Psyche  and 
Cupid  on  the  wall. 

"  Whence  came  this  picture  ?  "  asked  he. 

1  The  general  procureur  is  the  highest  authority  iu  legal 
matters. 


1 66  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  It  is  a  gift  from  the  empress.  .  .  .  Count, 
when  do  you  think  of  returning  to  Moscow  ? ' 

"  To-morrow  morning.  I  shall  not  of  course 
delay  my  information,  but  shall  instantly  report 
the  fresh  obstinacy  of  that  impudent  liar." 

Viazimski  knit  his  bushy  eyebrows.  "  Do  you 
know  anything  about  the  information  of  the 
prisoner  on  your  own  account?"  he  grunted  out, 
turning  over  some  papers. 

Orloff  let  drop  his  half-eaten  biscuit. 

"  Yes  !  Now,  just  fancy ;  you'll  not  deny  all 
this  is  disgusting.  My  faithfulness,  devotion, 
honour,  she  has  spared  nothing.  .  .  .  And 
let  me  tell  you  what  is  more  astonishing  than 
everything  else,  that  that  she-devil  fell  over  head 
and  ears  in  love  with  me,  and  invented,  goodness 
knows  what ;  but  even  just  now  the  hussy  has 
had  the  impudence  to  bid  me  acknowledge  a 
marriage  with  her." 

"Well!    I  can  only  wonder,"  said  Viazimski; 

"  that  disguise  in  clerical  vestments — excuse  me, 

what  need  for  such  sacrilege  ?    Oh  !  you'll  have 

a  deal  to  answer  for,   to  God,  Batiushka  Count. 

All  that  would  haunt  me." 

Orloff  tried  to  turn  it  all  off  as  a  joke,  tried  to 
go  on  talking,  but  the  gloomy  silence  of  the  bear- 
like   Procureur    showed    him   that   his    credit   at 


ORLOFF  AT   THE  PROCUREUR'S.  167 

court  had  been  long  on  the  decline,  and  that  he, 
notwithstanding  his  late  services,  might,  like  use- 
less old  rubbish,  hope  for  only  one  thing — to  be 
left  alone  and  forgotten. 

"  My  annals  are  finishing,  it  seems.  I  shall 
soon  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  river,"  thought 
OrlorT,  on  leaving  Yiazimski.  "  They'll  put  me 
under  hatches  somewhere  in  Moscow,  or  perhaps 
farther.  We  are  grown  old,  out  of  fashion ;  we 
must  clear  the  way  for  new-comers." 

He  was  so  much  disturbed  by  his  reception  at 
the  procureur's  that  the  next  morning  he  had  a 
special  service  celebrated  in  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Virgin  Mary,  and  before  his  departure  for 
Moscow  he  even  paid  a  visit  to  an  Armenian 
fortune-teller  on  the  Litienaya. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

OELOFF    AT    MOSCOW. 

The  peace  with  Turkey  was  publicly  celebrated 
at  Moscow  on  July  13th.  Galitzin  was  not  for- 
gotten, and,  for  having  cleared  Moldavia  of  the 
Turks,  received  from  Petersburg  a  rich  sword 
studded  with  diamonds.  Orloh0  received  a  testi- 
monial, a  rich  dinner  service,  one  of  the  Imperial 
properties  near  Petersburg,  and  the  title  of 
"  Chesmenski." 

"Put  up  on  the  shelves  of  the  archives,  wholly 
thrown  over!"  thought  Alexis  Grregorevitch.  He 
was  not  allowed  to  follow  the  court  to  Petersburg. 
From  this  time  Moscow  was  assigned  to  him  as  a 
residence,  as  also  to  many  of  the  other  supporters 
of  Ekaterina.  It  would  have  seemed  that  the 
days  of  Chesmenski  flowed  on  peacefully  and 
pleasantly  in  his  splendid  Muscovite  palace  ;  but 
the  retainers  of  the  count  began  to  notice  that 
he  often  had  fits  of  melancholy — that  very  often, 
without  any  reason  whatever,  he  would  have  fune- 

16S 


ORLOFF   AT  MOSCOW.  169 

ral  masses  celebrated,  or  a  special  service  with 
Acathistus,1  or  would  call  in  the  gipsy  fortune- 
tellers, and  they  would  hear  him  often  murmur 
and  complain  of  the  "  Traitress  Fortune,"  who  in 
former  times  had  so  spoilt  him  with  her  favours. 

If  Count  Alexana  would  drive  out  his  fleet 
steeds  on  a  beautiful  frosty  evening,  flying  along 
the  streets,  glancing  at  the  passers-by  from  under 
his  rich  fur  cap,  thickly  studded  with  frosty 
diamonds,  his  thoughts  would  carry  him  back  to 
other  blue,  but  warm  skies,  to  the  azure  shores  of 
the  Morea  and  the  Adriatic,  to  the  Roman  and 
Venetian  marble  palaces.  If  in  autumn  the  sleet 
were  driving,  promising  a  splendid  hunt,  the 
count  would  ride  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Otradi 
or  Niaskouchnavo,  and,  after  having  driven  the 
mother  hare  out  of  the  birch  copse,  and  started 
his  favourite  harehounds  on  her  track,  would 
gallop  on  his  gallant  Kabardinetz  furiously  in 
pursuit,  but  all  at  once  he  would  rein  in  his 
steed  and  stop.  The  rain  might  brush  the  wet 
branches  of  the  birch  in  his  face,  the  horse 
might  splash  through  the  pools  and  mud,  but  the 
count's  thoughts  had  wandered  far  away,  to  that 
far-off  Italy,  to  Home,  Livorno,  to  the  unfortu- 
nate, by  him  betrayed,  Tarakanova. 

1  A  service  in  honour  of  our  Lord  and  the  Virgin  Mary. 


i7o  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  Where  is  she  ?     What  has  become  of  her?' 
he  would  think.    "  Has  she  survived  her  child's 
birth  ?     Is   she   still  there,  or  have  they  hidden 
her  even  farther  away  ?  " 

After  the  fall  of  the  favourite,  Prince  Gregory, 
his  brother,  Count  Alexis  Chesmenski,  retired  so 
quickly  from  court  that  he  not  only  knew 
nothing  positive,  but  even  dared  not  try  to  know 
anything  positive  about  the  unfortunate  beauty 
whom  he  had  carried  off  and  betrayed. 

That  same  year,  in  autumn,  rumours  were 
spread  in  Moscow  that  a  very  important  mys- 
terious personage  had  been  brought  over  from 
Petersburg,  and  sequestered  in  the  Novo  Spaski 
Nunnery ;  that  she  had  been  compelled  to  take 
the  veil,  and  had  been  named  Docife,1  and  was 
now  locked  up  in  a  secluded  cell. 

The  Muscovites  whispered  loudly  that  the  new 
nun  was  the  daughter  of  the  late  Empress  Eliza- 
beth, by  her  secret  husband  Razoumovski. 

What  emotions  the  count  underwent,  are  only 
known  to  himself. 

"It  is  she  !  it  is  she  ! '  he  would  murmur  in 
his   agitation,  not    knowing  that    his  victim,  the 

1  "  Docife  "  is  supposed  to  have  been  another  daughter  of 
Elizabeth  Petrowna.  It  is  known  that  she  died  in  the 
nunnery  referred  to. 


V0LK0NSK1   VISITS   ORLOFF.  171 

Princess  Tarakanova,  still  hopelessly  languished 
in  the  fortress.  "  It  can  be  no  one  else  ;  of  course 
not.  She  has  renounced  everything,  she  has 
submitted,  she  has  taken  the  veil." 

Thoughts  of  the  newly-arrived  captive  troubled 
him  so  much  that  he  even  avoided  driving  in  the 
street  where  the  convent  was,  and  if  this  were 
impossible,  he  would  avoid  looking  up  at  the 
windows. 

"  Traitor,  murderer  ! '  would  resound  in  his 
ears,  on  recollecting  his  last  interview  with  the 
Princess.  In  bitter  anguish  he  would  remember 
every  detail  of  that  interview,  when  she  had 
loaded  him  with  curses,  stamped  at  him,  spat  in  his 
face,  and  passionately  flung  at  him  whatever  came 
near  her  hand.  Once,  when  the  Prince  Volkonski 
had  paid  him  an  unofficial  visit,  to  see  over  his 
stables  and  horses,  Chesmenski  tried  to  bring  the 
conversation  round  to  the  Princess.  They  had 
returned  from  their  walk  to  the  stables,  and 
were  taking  tea.  The  count  be^an  in  a  round- 
about  way  to  refer  to  foreign  and  home  news,  and 
rumours,  and  then,  as  if  merely  en  passant,  asked 
who  the  person  was  whom  report  said  had  been 
brought  to  the  convent  ? 

"  Why  do  you  ask  that  ?  "  suddenly  inter- 
rupted the  prince,  Michael  Xikititch. 


172  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  What  ?  "  asked  the  bewildered  Chesmenski. 

"  Nothing  !  "  answered  Volkonski,  turning 
round,  and  looking  aimlessly  out  of  the  window. 
"  I  was  just  recollecting  a  little  Petersburg  in- 
cident, that  happened  last  year  at  Court. 

"  What  incident  ?  Honour  me,  Batiushka 
Prince  ! '  said  the  count,  with  a  smile  and  a  bdw. 
"  You  see,  here  I  hear  nothing  and  see  nothing 
of  the  new,  curious,  and  to  us  very  often  incom- 
prehensible occurrences  in  the  court  regions  ?  ' 

"  Well !  as  you  please,"  said  Volkonski,  clear- 
ing his  throat,  and  continuing  to  gaze  out  of  the 
window.  "  The  incident,  if  you  like,  is  not  very 
important,  rather  comical  than  otherwise.  You 
know  the  wife  of  the  General  Major  Kojin  ? 
Marie  Dimitrievna,  who  is  so  lively,  so  beautiful 
and  such  a  chatterbox  ?  " 

"  Oh,  of  course,  who  does  not  know  her  ?  I 
often  used  to  meet  her,  before  my  departure  for 
foreign  parts." 

"  Well !  you  know,  she  babbled  out,  it  is 
said,  somewhere  .  .  .  that  some  one  .  .  . 
well !  we'll  call  them  the  Abaloshoffs,  it's  all  the 
same,  I've  forgotten  who — had  decided  on  patron- 
ising the  new  lucky  man,  Peter  Modrvinoff.  .  .  . 
Of  course  you  know." 

Orloff  silently  inclined  his  head. 


VOLKONSKPS  LITTLE   TALE,  173 

"  Patronise  .  .  .  well !  you  understand, 
trip  him  up.     .     .      ." 

"  Who  ?  "  asked  Orloff. 

"  Well !  it  would  seem  Gregory  Alexandrovitch 
Potemkin." 

"Well!  and  what  then  ?  " 

"  Well !  this,"  continued  the  prince.  "  In 
somebody's  private  rooms,  Stephan  Ivanovitch 
Sheshkovski  was  hurriedly  called,  and  the 
following  orders  were  given  : — '  Batiushka,  go 
immediately,  this  very  minute,  to  the  masquerade, 
find  out  the  Generalsha  Kojin.  Having  found 
her,  carry  her  off  to  the  secret  department,  and 
having  given  her  a  slight  taste  of  corporal 
punishment,  as  a  small  token  of  remembrance, 
bring  back  the  aforesaid  little  lady,  with  all 
honour,  and  deliver  her  safely  over  to  the  mas- 
querade." 

"And  Sheshkovski?" 

"  Well !  he  took  the  little  lady,  whipped  her 
soundly,  and  brought  her  back,  with  all  honour, 
to  the  masquerade,  and  she,  that  no  one  should 
get  a  hint  of  this  curious  little  incident,  said 
nothing,  and  very  wisely  and  assiduously  went 
through  all  the  dances  to  which  she  had  been 
invited — every  one  to  the  last — minuet,  cotillon, 
and  all." 


174  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Orloff  understood  well  the  bitter  allusion,  and 
never  mentioned  Docife  again. 

Neither  did  the  count  find  any  pleasure  in  his 
conversations  with  his  intendant,  Terentitch 
Cabanoff,  who  sometimes  used  to  come  from 
Krenova  to  Niaskouchnavo.  Terentitch  was  a 
serf,  but  knew  how  to  read  and  write.  He  was 
always  dressed  in  the  latest  fashion,  with  a 
pearl-grey  leaf  tan l  and  waistcoat,  shoes  with 
huge  steel  buckles,  ruffles,  and  a  black  silk 
purse2  to  his  powdered  pigtail. 

The  count  would  pour  out  for  him  a  goblet 
of  rich  foreign  wine,  saying,  "  Taste  that,  old 
fellow.  .  .  .  It's  not  wine  I've  poured  out, 
it's  a  man's  life,  .  .  .  elixir."  Terentitch  would 
refuse. 

"  No  !  No  nonsense,  old  man  !  '  would  press 
the  count.  "  Don't  forget  the  proverb,  '  Enjoy 
life  while  it  lasts.'  Be  merry,  in  that  alone  lies 
happiness.     Unfortunately,  not  for  all." 

"  Too  true,  Batiushka  Count !  !  would  answer 
Cabanoff,  drinking  off  the  goblet.  "  We,  well ! 
we  are  but  serfs ;  .  .  .  but  you,  ought  you 
to  sigh,  ought  you  not  to  enjoy  sweet  life  in  your 

1  A  Persian  coat. 

2  A  fine  black  silk  net  as  worn  in  England  about  the  time 
of  George  II.  and  George  III. 


ORLOFF  AND    TERENTITCH. 


/:> 


own  lovely,  beautiful  manors  ?  The  sites  are 
so  dry,  so  gay,  the  sloping  fields  are  so  fruitful ; 
springs  of  water,  forests,  groves,  everywhere. 
The  serfs  so  industrious,  so  hardy,  no  beggars, 
thanks  to  you,  our  benefactor.  We  have  noticed 
long  ago,  sir,  that  you  are  always  very  sad,  and 
have  heard  something1  now  and  then  which  makes 
us  all  very  anxious." 

"  Doubt  and  suspicion,  my  dear  fellow,  will 
constantly  exist,"  answered  the  count.  "  Last 
autumn,  you  yourself  wrote  to  me,  when  I  was 
in  foreign  parts,  praising  the  coming  crops,  and 
how  did  they  turn  out  ?  to  be  of  no  account  at 
all  ?  No,  the  proverb  says,  '  Don't  count  your 
chickens  before  they're  hatched  ! '  " 

"Yes,  it's  the  truth  you're  saying,"  answered 
Terentitch,  sighing. 

"  And  in  all  other  things,"  continued  the  count. 
"  I  go  about  a  great  deal,  and  many  come  to  me, 
and,  would  you  believe  it  ?  I  know  nothing  of 
what  I  used  to  know  before.  Phylia  was  high 
in  favour,  every  one  sought  his  patronage,  but 
now,    .     .    ."  the  count  was  silent  and  thoughtful. 

"  See  there !  "  thought  Cabanoff,  looking  at 
him,  "  with  that  strength,  those  riches,  to  be 
thus  slighted." 

"Ah!  yes,  old  man,"   continued   Orloff,  "hard 


176  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

times  are  come.  I  feel  as  if  between  two  mill- 
stones. My  services  are  ended;  no  one  requires 
them  any  more,  and  here,  at  home,  there  is 
nothing  but  ennui" 

"  Count,  fire  purifies  gold,"  answered  Teren- 
titch,  "  misfortune,  man.  Wood  won't  burn  with- 
out shavings.  ...  I  misfit  look  out  for  some 
for  you.'* 

"  What  ?  " 

"  Get  married,  your  Grace." 

"  Oh  !  well,  prate  about  that  to  others,  but  not 
to  me,"  answered  Chesmenski,  remembering  that 
Konsov  had  given  him  the  same  advice  not  Ions: 
before. 


CHAPTER   XXIY. 

THE  PRINCESS    WRITES   TO   THE   EMPRESS. 

Meanwhile,  tlie  position  of  the  Princess  Tara- 
kanova  liad  remained  the  same.  During  the 
celebration  of  the  peace  with  Turkey,  in  Moscow, 
she  had  been  forgotten.  However,  when  all  had 
become  quiet  again,  new  points  of  condemnation 
were  found  against  her.  She  was  again  cross- 
examined.  Even  Sheshkovski  was  called,  and 
let  loose  on  her,  and  the  cross-examinations  were 
more  frequent.  Worn  out  by  her  illness  and 
mental  anguish,  as  well  as  by  her  miserable  and 
unusual  surroundings,  and  by  the  presence  of 
the  two  sentinels  in  her  room,  she  began  fading 
rapidly.  There  were  even  days  when  her  end 
was  expected  every  minute.  After  one  of  these 
terrible  days,  the  unfortunate  captive  seized  a 
pen,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  empress. 

"  Snatching  myself  from  the  arms  of  death," 
she  wrote,  "  I  throw  myself  at  your  feet.  You 
ask,   who   I  am  ?    but  can  the   fact  of  birth  be 

177 


178  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

made  a  crime  of,  for  any  one  ?  Night  and  day 
men  are  in  my  room.  My  sufferings  are  such 
that  my  whole  being  is  shaken.  In  refusing  me 
mercy,  it's  not  to  me  alone  you  refuse  it."  The 
empress  was  very  much  troubled  that  she  could 
not  leave  Moscow  herself  and  personally  see  the 
captive,  who  excited  in  her  by  turns  the  deepest 
anger,  and,  involuntarily,  the  most  profound 
pity. 

In  the  month  of  August,  Field -Marshal 
Galitzin  paid  the  Princess  another  visit. 

"  You  called  yourself  a  Persian.  Then  you 
said  you  were  born  in  Arabia;  you  gave  your- 
self out  next  as  a  Tcherkeshenka ;  and  at  last  as 
our  grand-duchess,"  he  said.  "You  stated  that 
you  knew  the  Oriental  languages  ;  we  gave  your 
letters  to  persons  who  know  those  languages,  but 
they  could  make  nothing  out  of  them.  Is  it 
possible — excuse  me — that  this  is  also  deceit  on 
your  part?  " 

"  Oh !  how  stupid  all  that  is  ! "  answered 
Tarakanova,  with  a  contemptuous  smile,  and  again 
coufflrinor  «  Do  Persians  and  Arabs  teach  their 
wives  to  read  or  write  ?  In  my  childhood  I 
learnt  a  little  by  myself,  and  therefore  I  ought  to 
be  believed  more  than  your  readers." 

Galitzin    was    too     sorry    for    her    to    go    on 


THE  END  NEAR.  179 

questioning  her  on   all  the  points  written  clown 
by  Oushakoff. 

"  Look  here,"  said  lie,  dashing  away  a  tear, 
seeming  to  recollect  something  which  was  a  great 
deal  more  serious  and  important,  "  there's  no 
time  for  disputes  now  .  .  .  your  strength  is 
failing  you.  ...  I  have  not  received  permis- 
sion ;  yet  I  will  give  orders  for  you  to  bo  trans- 
ferred into  a  better  and  more  spacious  apartment, 
and  your  food  shall  be  brought  you  from  the 
table  of  the  commandant.  .  .  .  AVould  you 
not  like  a  priest  .  .  .  you  understand  . 
we  are  all  in  the  hands  of  God  ...  to  pre- 
pare you     .     .     .     for     . 

"  For  death  .  .  .  is  it  not  true  ? "  inter- 
rupted the  captive,  shaking  her  head. 

"  Yes  !  "  answered  G-alitzin. 

"Yes,  I  feel  myself  it  is  true." 

"  AVhom  would  you  like  ? '  asked  the  prince, 
leaning  over  her.  "  A  Catholic,  a  Protestant,  or 
one  of  our  own  faith  ? ' ' 

"  I  am  Russian,"  said  the  Princess,  "  there- 
fore send  me  one  of  our  own  faith,  if  you  please." 

"  So,  everything  is   finished  !  "   thought  she  the 
next  night,  sleepless  as  always ;  "  darkness  with- 
out dawn,   anguish  without  end,   death     . 
there   it  comes.      It    will    soon  be  here,  soon — 


1S0  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

perhaps  to-morrow.  And  they're  not  yet  tired 
of  questioning. 

The  captive  arose,  leaned  her  head  on  the  side 
of  the  bed.  "  But  who  am  I  after  all  ?  she  asked 
herself,  raising  her  eyes  to  the  image  of  the 
Saviour.  "  Is  it  so  difficult  to  sum  up  every- 
thing in  these  my  last  minutes  ?  Perhaps. — Is 
it  possible  that  I  am  not  really  the  one  I  thought 
myself  to  be  ?  No,  I  do  not  acknowledge  that ! 
But  why  not  ?  Is  it  from  a  feeling  of  disgust 
towards  them,  or  from  too  great  a  passion ;  or  is 
it  revenue  for  a  name  disgraced,  for  a  woman 
crushed  ?  " 

And  then  she  tried  again  to  remember  all  her 
past,  to  recollect  its  smallest  details.  Days  long 
past  crowded  her  memory.  Her  luxurious  gay  life, 
her  successes,  her  triumphs,  her  visits  and  her 
levees,  her  balls.  "  Courtiers,  diplomats,  counts, 
even  reigning  princes ;  how  many  adorers  I 
have  had,"  thought  she.  "  There  must  have  been 
some  reason  why  they  should  all  have  courted  me 
so,  offered  me  their  hearts,  their  riches,  sought  my 
hand.  .  .  .  For  what?  for  my  beauty,  for 
my  power  of  pleasing,  for  my  talents  ?  But  there 
are  many  beautiful,  talented  women  far  more 
wily  than  I;  why  did  not  the  Prince  Limbour- 
ski  go   mad  over  them  ?     Why  did  he  not  give 


MEMORIES.  1S1 

them,  as  he  gave  me,  liis  lands,  his  castles  ? 
Why  didn't  he  make  these  over  to  them  instead 
of  to  me,  as  '  granted '  estates  ?  Why  only  to  me 
did  all  the  i  Radzivills  '  and  '  Pototskis  '  cling  ? 
Even  the  powerful  favourite  of  the  Russian 
Court,  Shouvaloif,  sought  an  interview  with  me. 
Why  was  I  surrounded  with  such  profound, 
almost  devotional  respect  P  Why  was  my  past 
history  so  eagerly  searched  out  ?  Yes,  I  was 
selected  by  Providence  for  some  special  end,  of 
which  I  myself  am  ignorant. 

"  Childhood ! — there  alone  lies  the  key  to  it 
all,"  whispered  the  poor  captive,  grasping  at 
her  earliest  recollections ;  "  there  alone  lie  the 
proofs." 

But  it  was  just  that  very  childhood  which  was 
so  bewildering  to  her  own  mind.  She  recollected 
the  isolated  hamlet  somewhere  in  the  South,  in  a 
desert,  the  large  shady  trees,  the  low  cottage,  the 
kitchen  garden,  and  beyond,  the  boundless  fields. 
A  good,  kind  old  woman  dressed  and  took  care  of 
her.  Then  came  the  journey  in  the  comfortably 
balanced  cart,  filled  with  fresh,  perfumed  hay, 
other  boundless  fields,  rivers,  mountains,  forests. 
"But  who  am  I?'  she  would  cry  in  anguish, 
sobbing  and  striking  her  poor  senseless  head  ! 
"  They   want    proofs  ! — but  where   are   these    to 


182  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

be  found  ?  What  can  I  add  to  what  I  have 
already  said  ?  How  can  I  myself  separate  the 
truth  from  the  fiction  which  life  has  mixed  up  to- 
gether ?  And  how  could  a  poor,  weak,  deserted, 
helpless  child  know  that  one  day  she  would  be 
called  to  account  for  her  own  birth  ?  The  judg- 
ment concerning  me  is  unjust,  illegal.  It's  not 
for  me  to  help  to  convince  my  persecutors.  Let 
them  disgrace  me ;  let  them  hunt  me  down  ;  let 
them  finish  their  work;  I  am  not  answerable, 
either  for  my  birth,  or  for  my  name.  ...  I 
am  the  only  living  witness  of  my  past ;  there  is 
no  other.  Why  are  they  so  furious  ?  God  does 
many  wonders.  Is  it  possible  that  He,  to  avenge 
a  poor,  persecuted  creature,  will  not  perform  a 
miracle,  will  not  open  the  door  of  this  stone  coffin, 
of  this  awful  fatal  dungeon  ? 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

FATHER   PETER  ANDREEF. 

The  last  warm  days  of  autumn  had  already 
passed,  and  cold  and  gloomy  November  had 
brought  its  rains  and  mists. 

Father  Peter  Andreef,  the  high  priest  of  the 
Cathedral  of  Kazan,  was  a  man  in  the  prime  of 
life,  highly  educated  and  well  read. 

In  the  autumn  of  1775  he  was  expecting  from 
Tchernigoff,  his  niece  and  god-daughter  Vara. 
She  had  written  to  her  uncle,  that  she  would 
arrive  in  Petersburg  with  a  companion,  a  young 
lady,  who  was  coming  in  the  hope  of  presenting 
personally  to  the  empress  a  petition  on  a  very 
important  subject.  The  little  house  of  Father 
Peter,  with  an  entresol,1  and  a  perron  standing- 
out  in  the  street,  was  built  behind  the  cathedral, 
and  stood  by  the  side  of  the  palace  of  the 
Hetman,  Razoumovski.  The  old  oaks  and  the 
lindens  threw  their  shade  over  its  red-tiled  roof, 

1  Entresol,  a  suite  of  apartments  between  ground  and  first 
floor. 

1S3 


1 34  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

even    extending    their    wide-spreading    branches 
over  the  priest's  little  yard. 

A  widower  for  already  several  years,  the 
childless  Father  Peter  led  the  life  of  a  hermit. 
His  gates  were  always  closed,  and  an  enormous 
watch-dog,  Polkan,  on  hearing  the  slightest  noise 
would  bark  in  the  most  furious  fashion.  The 
few  and  far  between  visitors  who  wished  to 
speak  to  the  priest  always  came  through  the 
street-door,  which  was  also  kept  constantly  closed. 
The  letter  of  his  niece  gave  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  to  Father  Peter,  but  he  also  found  in 
it  something  very  extraordinary.  Vara  wrote  to 
him,  that  the  young  mistress  of  the  neighbouring 
estate  had  a  little  while  as^o  received  from 
abroad,  together  with  a  letter  addressed  to  her, 
a  packet  of  papers  covered  with  writing,  which, 
as  the  letter  told  her,  had  been  found  on  the  sea- 
shore in  a  bottle.  "  Dear  godfather  and  uncle, 
forgive  my  foolishness,"  wrote  Vara  to  her  uncle, 
"  but  after  having  read  these  papers  together,  the 
young  lady  and  I  have  decided  on  coming  to 
Petersburg,  and  we  shall  soon  be  there.  Whom 
could  I  recommend  the  unfortunate  orphan  to 
go  to  if  not  you.  She  buried  her  parents  a  year 
ago.  In  the  papers  sent  her  there  is  so  much 
concerning  an  important  person,  that  before  decid- 


FATHER  PETER   RECEIVES  A    LETTER.        185 

ing  on  speaking  about  it,  there  is  a  great  deal 
to  think  over.  First,  the  young  lady  thought 
of  sending  the  papers  to  Moscow,  to  the  empress, 
but  on  reflection  we  decided  otherwise.  You, 
dear  uncle,  know  everything.  You  go  every- 
where, you  are  respected  by  every  one,  there- 
fore you  can  easily  advise  us  what  to  do.  The 
name  of  the  young  lady  is  Irena  Lvovna,  and 
her  surname  — she  is  the  daughter  of  the 
Brigadier  Rakitin." 

"  Ah  !  youth,  youth ! "  thoughtfully  shaking 
his  head,  said  the  priest  on  reading  this  letter. 
"  Ah  !  the  magpies,  what  crazy  ideas  !  to  come 
all  the  way  from  Tchernigoif  to  Petersburg  to 
get  my  advice.  .  .  .  They've  fallen — well — 
they've  found  some  one  !" 

Every  evening,  at  twilight,  Father  Peter  was 
wont  to  light  the  candles,  and  having  put  on 
his  house  cassock,  to  walk  up  and  down  the 
little  linen  drugget  which  ran  through  all  the 
rooms,  from  the  little  hall,  through  the  drawing- 
room,  dining-room,  and  into  the  bedroom.  He 
would  look  after  his  plants,  especially  his  gera- 
niums, standing  on  the  window-sills  ;  pull  off  the 
dry  leaves  and  pick  out  the  weeds ;  and  would 
arrange  the  books  on  the  table,  and  o*aze  at  his 
favourite    blackbird    asleep  in    its    cage,    at    the 


1 86  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  ikons  "  and  images  in  the  corner,  at  the  lighted 
lamp,  and  would  begin  musing  and  thinking — 
— when  at  last  would  those  rooms  be  filled 
with  mirth  and  life,  when  would  his  magpie 
come  ? 

The  two  girls  arrived.  The  house  of  the  priest 
became  at  once  bright  and  lively.  The  sprightly 
gay  Yarushka  quite  bewildered  her  uncle  with 
news  about  his  birthplace,  their  acquaintances,  and 
journey  adventures.  Listening  to  her,  Father 
Peter  thought  within  himself,  "  How  time  flies ! 
Is  it  so  long  ago  that  she  was  brought  here,  a 
wild,  snub-nosed,  and  sulky  little  lass  ?  and  now 
— look  at  her,  so  sprightly,  so  gay,  so  clever! 
Yes,  and  her  companion,  she  is  a  beauty  !  Those 
thick  black  braids,  and  what  eyes  !  But  quite 
in  another  style  to  my  Vara ;  so  thoughtful,  dis- 
creet, serious  and  proud  !" 

After  the  first  joyful  questions  and  answers, 
the  priest  was  obliged  to  celebrate  the  vesper 
service,  and  his  visitors  having  hastily  established 
themselves  in  the  attic,  took  everything  that  was 
necessary,  and  started  for  the  bath,  accompanied 
by  the  cook.  On  returning  home  they  established 
themselves  in  the  corner  by  the  fireside,  and 
there  Father  Peter  found  them,  as  red  as  boiled 
lobsters,  their  heads  tied  up  with  coloured  hand- 


FATHER  PETERS    VISITORS.  187 

kerchiefs,  drinking  tea.  It  was  long  past  mid- 
night when  they  at  last  rose  to  go  to  bed. 

"  Well  !  my  young  lady,  and  where  are  the 
papers  you  have  brought  with  you?"  said  Father 
Peter,  rising.  "  It  interests  me  also  ;  what  is 
it  all  about  ?  " 

The  girls  began  searching  in  their  bundles, 
found  the  roll — on  it  was  the  inscription,  "  Diary 
of  Lieutenant  Konsov." 


CHAPTER   XXYI. 

THE    VISITORS'    QUEST. 

Father  Peter  retired  to  his  chamber,  drew  the 
curtains,  put  the  candle  on  the  night-table,  threw 
himself  without  undressing  on  the  bed,  unrolled 
the  crumpled  manuscript  of  blue  foreign  note- 
paper  with  gilt  edges,  and  began  reading.  He 
did  not  close  his  eyes  till  morning. 

The  whole  history  of  the  Princess  Tarakanova, 
or  Princess  Wladimirskaya,  of  which  Father  Peter 
had  only  heard  the  most  contradictory  rumours, 
was  now  open  to  him,  with  unexpected  details. 

"  Ah  !  that  is  what  it  is  about,"  he  thought, 
on  reading  the  first  lines  ;  "  about  the  mysterious 
Princess." 

Sometimes  he  would  leave  off  reading  the 
manuscripts,  and  lie  with  closed  eyes,  then  again 
begin  to  read.  "And  where  now  is  that  poor 
unfortunate,  betrayed  girl  ?  "  he  asked  himself, 
on  reading  the  incident  of  Livorno.  "  Where  is 
she  now  dragging  out  her  miserable  existence  ? 
And  he,  who  wrote  these  lines,  was  he  saved  ?  " 

188 


THE  MANUSCRIPT.  1S9 

One  candle  after  another  burnt  out.  Father 
Peter  finished  the  manuscript,  snuffed  out  the 
last  little  piece  of  candle,  and  began  walking  up 
and  down  on  the  drugget.  He  went  on  walking 
till  dawn  reminded  him  that  he  had  not  slept  all 
niodit.  "  What  events  !  ah  !  what  events  !  "What 
an  unfortunate  tissue  of  incidents  !  "  whispered 
the  priest.     "  Poor  martyr!    May  Grod  help  her!' 

The  blackbird  in  the  cage  woke  up,  and  seeing 
the  very  unusual  promenade  of  its  master,  set 
up  a  loud  unwonted  scream. 

"  He'll  wake  every  one  up,"  thought  the  priest. 

He  returned  on  tiptoe  to  his  bedroom,  threw 
himself  on  his  bed,  and  began  reflecting  on  all 
that  he  had  read.  His  thoughts  wandered  to  the 
last  reign,  to  the  sea  of  mysterious  and  common 
events,  known  to  others  as  well  as  to  him;  at 
last  he  fell  asleep. 

The  sound  of  the  bells  ringing  for  morning 
service  awoke  him.  The  pale  November  sun 
was  struggling  through  the  curtains.  Father 
Peter  locked  up  the  manuscript  in  the  drawer  of 
his  table,  went  to  church  to  celebrate  morning 
service,  and  returned  home,  through  the  back 
door,  into  the  kitchen.  On  seeing  his  god- 
daughter going  up  the  attic  stairs  with  a  hot  iron 
in  her  hands  he  beckoned  her. 


190  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  Tell  me,  Vara,"  lie  whispered ;  "  be  wlio 
wrote  tliat  diary — Konsov — must,  it's  plain,  have 
been  her  fiance  ?  " 

Vara  moistened  ber  finger  and  tben  touched 
the  hot  iron;  it  fizzed. 

"  He  did  woo  her,"  she  answered,  dangling  her 
iron.' 

"Well!  and  what  then?" 

"  Well  !  Irena  Lvovna  liked  him.  Her  father 
would  not  hear  of  it." 

"  Then  the  match  was  broken  off  ?  " 

"  Of  course  !  " 

"And  now?" 

"  Well,  what  can  I  say  ?  She  is  an  orphan 
now,  and  of  course  would  be  delighted.  She  is 
her  own  mistress — but  where  is  he  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  of  course  the  ship  was  wrecked,"  said 
Father  Peter. 

"  And  in  our  wilderness,  what  could  we  learn 
about  it  ?  Uncle,  you  might  go  and  make  some 
inquiries  of  naval  people,  because,  you  see,  not 
onlv  the  command  was  lost,  but  all  the  count's 
riches.  .  .  .  Somewhere,  you  would  be  sure 
to  learn  something." 

"  Who  sent  your  friend  this  diary  ?  " 

"God  alone  knows.  The  post  brought  it; 
Irisha    received     it.       On     the    roll     was     only 


INQUIRIES.  191 

6  RakitiD,'  and  the  address  ;  and  in  the  note,  writ- 
ten in  French,  it  was  merely  said  that  the  manu- 
script had  been  found  by  some  fishermen  in  a  bottle 
on  the  sea-shore.  Irena  is  now  the  only  survivor 
of  Rakitin  .   .   .  and  so  of  course  she  received  it." 

The  priest,  without  saying  anything  either  to 
his  niece  or  her  friend,  began  most  energetically 
to  make  inquiries  in  all  directions,  but  his  efforts 
were  fruitless. 

The  only  information  he  gained  at  the  Marine 
Department  was  that  the  frigate,  The  Northern 
Eagle,  which,  was  laden  with  the  rich  collections 
of  Count  Orloff,  had  been  driven  along  into  the 
Atlantic  Ocean — it  had  been  seen  for  some  time 
beyond  Gibraltar,  near  the  African  coast,  not  far 
off  from  Tangiers — and  that  in  all  probability  it 
had  been  shipwrecked  and  sunk  not  far  from  the 
Azores  or  the  Canaries.  Of  the  fate  of  Lieu- 
tenant Konsov  nothing  could  be  gathered ;  it  was 
not  even  known  for  a  surety  whether  he  was  on 
the  frigate  or  not,  as  the  whole  of  the  crew  had 
perished.  The  commander  of  the  squadron,  and 
Admiral  Greig,  were  both  now  in  Moscow,  and 
there  remained  no  one  else  to  apply  to.  There 
had  been  some  rumours  in  foreign  newspapers 
that  a  disabled  ship  had  been  seen  somewhere 
about  on  the  ocean,  but  with  no  crew  on  board, 


192  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

as  far  as  could  be  noticed ;  it  was  being  driven 
by  the  storm  in  the  direction  of  the  Azores  or 
Madeira.  The  violence  of  the  storm  had  effectu- 
ally prevented  any  efforts  being  made  to  rescue  it. 

"  Poor  young  girl !  "  thought  the  priest,  look- 
ing at  Rakitina ;  "  so  clever,  so  modest,  so  rich, 
and  so  young.  They  would  have  been  a  couple, 
if  God  bad  only  spared  him  !  No,  he  must  be 
dead.  Had  he  been  alive,  he  would  have  sent 
some  token  to  his  native  land,  to  bis  fellow 
officers,  to  his  relations.'' 

Once,  when  lie  had  some  spare  time,  he  took 
the  opportunity  of  speaking  witb  Irena. 

" Young  lady,"  said  he,  "I  have  heard  from 
my  niece  of  your  loss.  Of  course,  it  is  plain  your 
enemies  had  their  own  reasons  for  separating 
you  from  your  wooer  and  giving  you  another. 
"Why  did  it  all  happen  ?  Why  was  Konsov 
treated  with  such  disdain  ?  " 

"  I  know  not  myself,"  answered  Irena.  "  My 
late  father  was  very  fond  of  Pavel  Efstafitch,  was 
always  very  kind  to  him,  treated  him  not  only  as 
a  near  neighbour,  but  as  one  dear  to  him.  And 
I,  what  words  can  describe  mv  love  for  him  ? 
lived  only  in  his  love." 

''Well,  then,  how  came  this  separation  about?' 

"  Oh,  don't  ask  me,"  said  Irena,  covering  her 


FATHER   PETER  AND  I  REN  A.  193 

face  with  her  hands.  "  It  is  such  anguish  to  me 
— such  grief.  We  saw  each  other  often,  corre- 
sponded ;  we  used  to  have  meetings.  I  gave 
him  my  word ;  we  were  only  awaiting  a  fitting 
time  to  tell  all  to  my  father." 

Rakitina  was  silent  for  some  minutes. 

"  Oh,  it  is  dreadful  to  recollect  it  all !  '  she 
continued.  "  I  suppose  some  one  must  have 
calumniated  Konsov  to  my  father.  All  at  once — 
it  was  evening — I  saw  the  horses  being  pat  to 
the  carriage.  '  Where  to  ?  '  I  asked.  My  father 
would  answer  nothing.  My  things  were  carried 
out,  put  into  the  carriage.  At  that  time  a  rela- 
tive from  Petersburg  was  on  a  visit  to  us.  We 
three  took  our  seats  in  the  carriage.  '  Where 
to?'  I  again  asked  my  father.  '  Oh,  hereabouts, 
not  very  far  ;  we  will  just  have  a  drive,'  said  my 
father,  joking.  Yes;  it  turned  out  a  nice  joke! 
We  went  on  with  post-horses,  without  one  relay, 
as  far  as  our  other  property,  one  thousand  versts1 
distant.  I  could  neither  write  nor  send  any 
message  to  Konsov  for  a  lon^  time,  I  was  watched 
so  closely.  It  was  only  when  my  father  fell 
dangerously  ill  that  I  implored  him  not  to  break 
my  heart,  but  to  allow  me  to  wrrite  to  Konsov. 
He  began  crying  bitterly,  and  said,  '  Forgive  me, 

1   663  miles. 

0 


194  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Irisba.  We  Lave  both  been  deceived  cruelly.' 
'  What  ?  what  ?  '  I  could  only  ask.  '  Is  it  pos- 
sible that  that  cousin  sought  my  hand?  ' 

" '  Not  your  hand,  my  dear,  but  the  money,' 
my  father  said.  '  He  intercepted  one  of  Konsov's 
letters  to  you,  and  so  stirred  up  my  anger  against 
him,  that  I  decided  on  carrying  you  off.  Forgive 
me,  Irenushka,  forgive  me.  God  has  punished 
him,  the  wicked  one.  He  borrowed  a  large  sum 
from  me,  lost  it  at  cards  in  Moscow,  and  has  blown 
his  brains  out.  He  left  a  letter  .  .  .  there  it 
is,  read  it    ...     I  received  it  a  few  days  ago.' 

"  My  poor  father  did  not  live  long  after  this. 
I  returned  to  my  own  property,  but  of  Konsov 
I  could  get  no  tidings.  His  grandmother  was 
also  dead.  I  wrote  to  Petersburg,  whence  he  had 
started,  wrote  into  foreign  parts,  to  the  fleet;  but 
then  war  was  raging,  and  of  course  he  did  not 
get  my  letters.  Then  his  captivity  in  Turkey 
.    .     .    then    .     .    .    and  that  is  all  my  sad  fate.': 

"  Pray,  my  dear  young  lady,  pray,"  said  the 
priest.  "  Your  lot  is  a  bitter  one  ;  only  the  good 
God  above  can  help  you." 

Meantime,  several  days  passed  by.  Rakitina, 
ceaselessly  without  respite,  went  about  gathering 
all  the  information  she  could,  regretting  neither 
time  nor  money,  but  all  was  of  no  avail. 


"IT  HAUNTS  ME  NIGHT  AND   DAY!"         195 

"  I  can  see,  Irena  Lvovna,"  said  Father  Peter 
to  his  guest  one  day,  "  that  you  are  constantly 
going  about,  first  to  one,  then  to  another,  trou- 
bling yourself  and  all  for  nothing.  I  have  heard 
it  said  that  the  empress  will  not  be  here  for  some 
time  yet ;  why  should  you  not  write  to  the 
superior  officer  of  Pavel  Efstafitch,  to  Moscow  ? 
may  not  the  Count  Orloff  know  of  something  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  Father,"  answered  Rakitina,  bow- 
ing. "  Let  us  pray  God  that  we  may  learn  some- 
thing about  that  unfortunate  ship  without  a  crew, 
and  if  no  one  else  were  saved,  perhaps  Konsov. 
.  Yesterday  Count  Panin  promised  me  to 
get  some  information  from  a  foreign  Marine 
Department — in  Spain — in  Madeira;  Von  Yiesing, 
the  author,  has  also  offered  his  services.  Shall 
I  not  hear  of  something  ?  I  shall  wait  a  little 
longer;  still  I  ought  to  be  going  home,  but  how 
can  I  go  without  any  hope !  Oh !  that  unfor- 
tunate ship,  it  haunts  me  night  and  day  !     .     .     ." 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

A   LATE    VISITOR. 

The  evening  of  the  1st  of  December,  1775,  was 
particularly  wet  and  windy.  The  snow  which 
had  fallen  in  the  morning  was  now  all  melted ; 
there  were  pools  of  water  everywhere;  the  few 
and  far  between  carriages  and  pedestrians  gloomily 
splashed  along  the  streets.  There  was  a  storm. 
The  wind  howled  over  the  house  of  the  priest, 
shaking  the  shutters,  and  bending  the  enormous 
trees  in  the  garden  of  the  Hetman.  The  Neva 
was  swollen  ;  an  inundation  was  imminent.  From 
time  to  time  could  be  heard  the  gloomy  sound  of 
the  cannon  from  the  fortress. 

Father  Peter  was  in  the  attic  with  the  girls, 
and  very  thoughtful.  The  conversation  could  not 
be  kept  up  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  howling 
wind  ;  it  frequently  had  to  be  broken.  Vara  was 
telling  the  cards ;  Irena  appeared  very  displeased, 
and  was  relating  with  a  very  discontented  face 
what  leeches  the  secretaries  in  the  Foreign  De- 
partment were,    the    interpreters,  and    even    the 

190 


A    KNOCK  AT   THE  DOOR.  197 

very  scribes.  Notwithstanding  the  orders  and 
personal  interest  of  Count  Panin,  they  had  as 
yet  done  nothing  in  Spain  or  on  the  islands. 
Projects  were  made  on  paper,  copied,  translated, 
everything,  only  to  drag  on. 

"  Yon  should  just  oil  a  little  .  .  .  through 
the  servants,  or  somehow,"  said  the  priest. 

"  Oh  !  she  gave  without  stint,"  answered  Vara 
for  her  friend. 

"  Oh !  those  laggards,"  said  Father  Peter. 
"  Yes,  it's  high  time  our  empress  should  return 
from  Moscow.     We  are  badly  off  without  her." 

The  rain  beat  furiously  on  the  windows  like 
hail.  The  poor  trembling  drenched  dog  had 
hidden  himself  in  his  kennel,  as  though  acknow- 
ledging that  in  such  a  storm,  and  with  the  cannon 
firing,  no  one  would  take  the  trouble  to  disturb 
him.  All  at  once,  after  one  of  the  booms  of  the 
cannon  from  the  fortress,  the  dog  began  to  bark 

'  OCT 

most  angrily,  and,  above  the  roar  of  the  wind, 
the  noise  of  the  shutting  of  the  gate  was  dis- 
tinctly heard.     Both  girls  shivered. 

"  Axenia  is  asleep,"  said  Father  Peter,  speak- 
ing of  the  cook.  "  Some  one  wants  me,  I  sup- 
pose, and  could  not  make  himself  heard  at  the 
front  door." 

"  Uncle,  I'll  go  and  open  it,"  said  Vara. 


193  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  Oh  !  with  your  courage  !  You'd  better  sit 
still." 

The  priest,  taking  the  caudle  in  his  hand,  went 
down  and  opened  the  door.  There  entered  a  not 
verv  tall,  but  stout  man,  with  a  red  face.  He 
had  a  cocked  hat  and  sword,  and  seemed  as  if 
he  had  got  rather  wet  while  waiting  at  the 
perron  to  have  the  door  opened. 

"  Secretary  to  the  commander-in-chief,  Ou- 
shakoff,"  said  he,  shaking  himself.  "  I  am  come 
to  you  on  a  secret  mission." 

The  priest  felt  a  little  frightened.  He  remem- 
bered the  papers  brought  by  Rakitina.  He  shut 
the  door,  and  invited  his  guest  into  the  study, 
lighted  a  second  candle,  and  having  given  his 
visitor  a  chair,  took  one  himself  and  sat  down 
to  listen. 

"  '  The  Sermons  of  Massillon'  ?  "said  Oushakoff, 
rubbing  his  cold  hands,  and  looking  at  the  book 
of  celebrated  sermons  lying  on  Father  Peter's 
table.  "  Then  I  suppose  you  know  the  French 
language  well  ?  " 

"I  understand  it  a  little,"  said  the  priest, 
thinking  within  himself,  "  AVhat  can  he  want  with 
me  at  this  late  hour  ?  " 

"  Very  probably.  Batiushka,  you  understand 
German  also  ;  and,  who  knows,  perhaps  Italian  ?  " 


A    SECRET  MISSION.  199 

"  I  learnt  German,  and   of  course   Italian   re- 
sembles Latin  very  closely." 

"  Consequently,"  continued  the  stranger,  "  you 
know  a  little  of  those  languages  ?  " 

"  Well !   here's  a   Preceptor  come  to   examine 
me,"  thought  the  priest. 

"  Yes  !  a  little,"  lie  answered. 

"  Is   it  not  strange,  Father  Peter,  such  ques- 
tions ;  especially  in  the    middle  of  the   night  ?  ' 
said  the  stranger.      "Now,  confess;  you  do  find 


•j  " 


it  strange  ? 

"Yes  !  it  is  rather  late,"  said  the  priest,  gaping 
and  looking  at  him. 

Oushakoff  crossed  one  leg  over  the  other,  and 
looking  up  to  the  wall,  saw  a  portrait  of  the  then 
disgraced  Archbishop  Arsenia  Matzaevitch,  and 
thought  to  himself,  "  Ah  !  well,  he  sympathises 
with  that  scoundrel.  I  shall  have  to  be  very 
determined  with  him,  very  brusque  !  " 

"  I  will  not  delay  any  longer,"  said  he.  "  This 
is  what  it  is.  His  Grace,  the  commander-in- 
chief,  desires  your  Right  Reverence  to  take  all 
the  necessary  vessels,  and  immediately,  without 
any  delay,  to  follow  me  ...  to  a  foreigner 
— of  the  Grecian  Faith.      .      .     ." 

"  But  what  is  all  this  about  ?  " 

"  To  celebrate  two  Sacraments." 


55 


5     55 


200  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  But  which  ?  " 

"  Excuse  me,  but  is  it  necessary  for  you  to 
know,  beforehand  ?"  answered  Oushakoff.  "  There 
must  be  no  hesitation.  The  orders  come  from 
high  powers." 

"  I  must  get  everything  ready,"  answered  the 
priest,  "  so  I  must  know  which." 

"  First  Baptism,  then  Confession,  and  Holy 
Communion,"  answered  Oushakoff. 

"  JNTow,  in  the  night  ?  " 

"  Just  so.     A  carriage  is  waiting. 

"  May  T  take  the  clerk  ?  " 

"  The  orders  are,  s  without  any  witnesses.5 

"  Where  is  it,  if  I  may  ask  ?  " 

" 1  cannot  answer.  You  will  know  all  after- 
wards. Now,  only  one  thing  ;  there  must  be  no 
delay,  and  the  most  profound  secrecy,"  said 
Oushakoff,  with  a  haughty  inclination  of  his  head, 
although  in  earnest  of  his  request,  he  pressed 
with  both  his  hands  his  cocked  hat,  dripping 
with  the  rain,  to  his  breast. 

"May  I  at  least  tell  my  household,  and  allay 
their  anxiety  ?  " 

Oushakoif  knit  his  brows,  and  silently  shook 
his  head.  The  priest  took  the  cross  and  books, 
called  to  Vara  in  the  attic  to  shut  the  door,  and 
by  the  time  his  niece  had  descended,  the  carriage 


"WITHOUT  ANY   WITNESSES:'  201 

was  rolling  noisily  away  in  the  street.  Driving 
up  to  the  palings  of  the  church,  Father  Peter 
woke  up  the  clerk,  went  into  the  church,  and 
took  the  chalice. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

BAPTISM. 

The  carriage  stopped  at  the  house  of  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief Galitzin.  The  prince  was  in- 
formed of  the  arrival  of  the  priest,  and  ordered 
him  to  be  brought  to  his  bedroom,  where  he  was 
awaiting  him  in  his  dressing-gown. 

"  Mille  pardons,  Batiushka,"  said  the  prince, 
hurriedly  dressing.  "Most  important  affair; 
by  orders  of  the  highest  authority.  You  must 
first  give  me  your  oath  that  you  will  be  silent 
for  ever  on  everything  heard  and  seen  this  night. 
Do  you  swear  ?" 

"  As  one  offering  up  a  bloodless  sacrifice," 
answered  Father  Peter,  "  I  will  be  faithful  to 
my  Sovereign,  without  any  oaths." 

Galitzin  was  a  little  embarrassed  at  first,  but 
he  did  not  insist.  He  related  to  the  priest  a 
few  of  the  circumstances  concerning  the  captive. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  anything  of  her  before?' 
he  asked  the  priest. 

"  Yes  !  a  few  rumours  did  reach  me.     .      .     ." 

202 


FATHER  PETER  AND   GALITZIN.  203 

"  Have  you  heard  that  she  is  now  in  Peters- 
burg?'' 

"  I  hear  it  for  the  first  time." 

Galitzin  told  him  of  the  anxiety  of  the  em- 
press, of  the  several  foreign  inimical  parties,  and 
of  the  false  wills. 

"  The  doctor  has  quite  given  her  up,"  added 
the  field-marshal.  "  Not  only  lier  days,  but 
her  hours  are  numbered." 

Father  Peter  crossed  himself. 

"  She  wishes  to  be  prepared,"  continued  the 
prince,  as  if  choosing  his  words.  "  It  is  not 
for  me  to  teach  you  what  to  do.  Most  probably, 
like  a  good  shepherd,  you  will  lead  her  to  a  full 
Confession  and  Repentance  as  to  who  she  is, 
and  if  she  has  taken  a  name  not  belonging  to 
her,  and  who  incited  her  to  do  it  ?  .  .  .  Will 
you  do  this  ?  " 

The  priest  lingered  with  his  answer. 

"  Give  your  word  that  you  will  help  justice.'1 

"  I  know  my  duty  and  my  obligations  as 
minister  of  God,"  answered  Father  Peter,  drily, 
cousrhingr. 

"  You  may  go,"  said  the  prince,  bowing. 
"  You  will  be  conducted  where  you  are  needed. 
As  to  me,  I  hope  you  will  excuse  the  trouble 
I  have  given  you  at  such  a  late  hour." 


204  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

The  carriage,  with  the  priest  and  Oushakoff, 
took  the  road  to  the  fortress.  At  the  door  of 
the  commandant's  they  noticed  another  car- 
riage. 

The  priest  was  led  into  a  special  room,  where 
he  saw  the  General  Procureur,  Prince  Viazimski. 
Near  the  prince  stood  the  tall,  manly,  ruddy- 
faced  commandant  of  the  fortress,  Tchernishoff, 
and,  near  the  latter,  his  still  young-looking  and 
smartly  dressed  wife. 

"  Is  everything  ready  ? '  asked  Yiazimski, 
looking  round. 

"  Everything  is  ready,"  answered  the  Com- 
mandantsha,1  trembling  and  bowing  in  her 
rustling  farthingale. 

"  Be  so  good  as  ...  "  said  the  Prince 
Viazimski  to  the  priest. 

They  all  went  into  the  next  room,  where 
candles  in  the  tall  silver  candlesticks  had  already 
been  lighted.  Between  them  stood  a  font,  and 
near  it  a  woman,  commonly  dressed,  and  holding 
in  her  arms  something  wrapped  in  white. 

"  Begin,  Holy  Father,"  said  Viazimski,  pointing 
to  the  font  and  to  what  the  woman  held. 

Father   Peter  put  on  his  vestments,  took  the 

1  A  wife,  in  Russia,  always  takes  her  husband's  title, 
adding  only  a  feminine  suffix. 


"WHOSE   CHILD?"  205 

censer  from    the  hands   of  Tchernishoff,   opened 
the  Prayer- Book,  and  began  the  ceremony. 

The  sponsors  were  the  finely  dressed,  affected 
wife  of  the  commandant,  and  the  general  pro- 
cureur  himself. 

They  gave  the  newly  christened  babe  the  name  of 
Alexander.  The  ceremony  was  finished  ;  the  com- 
mandantsha,  with  the  babe  in  her  arms,  continued 
turning  and  twisting  about,  trying  with  her  airs 
and  graces  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  general 
procureur  to  herself  and  her  rustling  silk  dress. 

"  Whose  child  ?"  asked  the  priest,  lowering  his 
voice,  and  respectfully  inclining  the  cross  towards 
the  godfather,  who  drew  near. 

Yiazimski  looked  at  him,  quite  taken  aback. 
"Under  what  name  must  I  inscribe  him  in  the 
register  ?  "  asked  Father  Peter.     "  Who  are  the 
parents  ?  " 

"But  is  that  absolutely  necessary?"  asked 
the  general  procureur,  in  a  displeased  voice. 

"  As  you  may  order.  .  .  .  By  right,  the  cere- 
mony requires  it.  Who  knows  what  may  happen 
in  the  future  ?    .     .     .     We  are  bound.     .     .     ." 

"  Right,"  said  Viazimski.  "  Alexander  Alexeef, 
son  of  Chesmenski." 

The  priest  silently,  with  a  trembling  hand, 
inscribed  the  name  in  the  baptismal  register. 


206  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  Now  another  Sacrament.  .  .  .  Here  is  your 
guide,"  said  the  Prince  Viazimski  sighing,  point- 
ing to  the  smart  commandant,  who  was  stand- 
ing drawn  up  to  his  full  height.  "  I  hope  that 
everything  will  be  fulfilled  according  to  orders." 

With  these  words,  he  left  the  room  and  drove 
home. 

Father  Peter,  holding  the  chalice  to  his  breast, 
followed  TchernishofF.  His  heart  beat  faster 
when,  having  crossed  the  little  bridge  in  the 
interior,  they  entered  a  special  yard,  surrounded 
by  a  high  wall.  He  at  once  understood  that  they 
had  entered  the  fatal  Ravelin  of  Alexeef. 

The  priest  and  his  guide,  mounting  a  few  steps, 
entered  a  long,  dimly  lighted  corridor,  and  stopped 
before  a  low  door. 

"  She  is  here,"  wrhispered  the  priest  to  himself. 
The  door  led  into  a  rather  low  but  very  com- 
fortable room.  There  were  no  sentinels  now. 
The  candle  near  the  bed  shed  a  feeble  light  on 
the  other  part  of  the  room,  through  a  purposely 
arranged  silk  curtain.  The  room  was  close,  and 
a  faint  odour  of  medicine  and  incense  pervaded 
it.  The  priest  glanced  around,  and  silently 
stepped  behind  the  screen. 

The  sick  girl  lay  motionless  on  her  bed,  but 
was  quite  conscious. 


"PRAY  FOR  ME."  207 

She  slowly  raised  her  eyes  to  the  visitor,  and 
recognising  that  it  was  the  priest  by  his  dress, 
gently  sighed,  and  held  out  her  hand. 

"  I  am  very,  very  glad,  Holy  Father,"  she  whis- 
pered in  French.  "  Perhaps  you  would  prefer 
German  ?  " 

"  Oai  !  Oui,  comme  il  vous  plait,"  stammered 
Father  Peter,  shivering  involuntarily  at  the 
sound  of  that  deep,  broken  contralto. 

"  I  am  ready ;  ask,"  stammered  the  captive. 
"  Pray  for  me." 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

CONFESSION  AND  ABSOLUTION. 

The  priest  carefully  put  the  chalice  on  the  table, 
drew  a  chair  near  the  bed,  passed  his  fingers 
through  his  bushy  hair,  and  glancing  at  the 
image  over  the  head  of  the  sick  girl,  gently  bent 
over  her. 

"  Your  name  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Princess  Elizabeth.      .      .      ." 

"  I  conjure  you,  speak  the  truth,"  continued 
Father  Peter,  trying  to  recollect  the  French 
words.  "  Who  were  your  parents,  and  where 
were  you  born  ?  " 

"  I  swear  by  the  Almighty  God  that  I  do  not 
know,"  answered  the  captive,  with  a  hollow 
cough.  "  I  knew  and  believed  only  what  others 
told,  me." 

She  answered  all  the  other  questions  in  a  voice 
broken  and  so  low  as  to  be  scarcely  heard.  She 
touched  lightly  on  her  childhood,  the  South  of 
Russia,  the  village  where  she  had  lived,  Siberia, 
her  flight  to  Persia,  and  her  residence  in  Europe. 


208 


"AT   WHAT  A   MOMENT!"  209 

"  You  are  a  Christian  ?  "  asked  the  priest. 

"  I  was  baptized  into  the  Russian  faith,  and 
therefore  look  upon  myself  as  belonging  to  the 
Russian  Church,  although  until  now,  for  many 
reasons,  I  have  been  deprived  of  the  blessings 
of  Confession  and  Holy  Communion.  ...  I 
have  sinned  a  great  deal.  Trying  to  tear  myself 
from  my  awful  position,  I  gave  my  friendship  to 
people  who  only  betrayed  me.  .  .  .  Oh,  how 
thankful  I  am  for  your  visit !  " 

"  Among  your  papers  were  found  two  wills. 
.  .  .  From  whom  did  you  receive  them,  and — hide 
nothing  from  God  and  from  me — by  whom  was 
your  Manifesto  to  the  Russian  fleet  written  ?  ' 

"  All  that  was  sent  to  me  quite  ready  by  per- 
sons quite  unknown  to  me,"  said  the  sick  girl. 
"  I  had  secret  friends  who  pitied  me.  They  tried 
to  restore  to  me  my  lost  rights." 

"But  what  is  this?"  thought  the  bewildered 
priest,  listening  to  her.  "  Is  all  this  fiction  or 
truth  ?  If  this  is  deceit,  my  God,  at  what  a 
moment  !  " 

"  You  are  on  the  borders  of  the  grave,"  said  he, 
in  a  trembling  voice ;  "  on  the  verge  of  eternity. 

.     .     Repent.     .     .      .     Between    us   there   is 
only  one  witness — God." 

The  penitent    struggled   within    herself.     Her 

p 


210  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

bosom  rose  and  fell,  and  her  hand  convulsively 
clutched  her  handkerchief  and  held  it  to  her 
lips. 

"  In  expectation  of  God's  judgment  and  my 
near  death,"  said  she,  turning  her  eyes  to  the 
image  of  the  Saviour,  "  I  confess  and  swear  that 
all  that  I  have  told  you  and  others  is  the  truth. 
1  know  nothing  more.     .     .      ." 

"  But  all  this  is  impossible,''  said  Father  Peter, 
in  an  agitated  voice.  "  All  that  you  have  told  me 
is  so  very  improbable." 

The  poor  girl  closed  her  eyes,  as  if  from  unen- 
durable acute  suffering.  Large  tears  rolled  down 
her  thin  and  faded  cheeks. 

"  Who  were  your  accomplices  ? "  asked  the 
priest,  after  a  short  pause. 

"  Oh,  no  one  !  Have  pity,  have  mercy ;  .  .  . 
and  if  I,  weak,  persecuted,  without  means.    .    .    ." 

The  Princess  did  not  finish.  A  hollow  cough 
shook  her  frame.  She  suddenly  raised  herself, 
clutched  at  her  breast,  at  the  bed,  and  fell  back, 
apparently  lifeless. 

The  fainting  fit  lasted  several  minutes.  Father 
Peter,  thinking  she  was  dying,  began  reading  the 
prayers.     The  sick  girl  came  to  herself. 

"Do  not  agitate  yourself;  be  calm,"  said  the 
priest,  noticing  she  was  coming  to. 


ABSOLUTION.  211 

"  Oh,  I  cannot  any  more  !  Leave  me !  Go 
away  !  "  murmured  the  sick  girl.  "  Another  time. 
Let  me  rest." 

"  I  have  just  christened  your  son,"  said  the 
priest,  wishing  to  give  her  a  little  courage.  "  I 
wish  you  joy  for  him.  God  is  merciful ;  you  may 
yet  live  for  him.     .     .      ." 

A  faint  smile  came  on  the  poor  parched  lips 
of  the  captive.  Her  eyes  wandered  aimlessly 
around,  as  though  seeing  beyond  that  room,  that 
fortress,  beyond  everything  surrounding  her,  far 
away. 

Father  Peter  blessed  the  poor  girl,  gazed  at  her 
for  some  time,  took  the  chalice,  and  having  post- 
poned the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion, 
left  the  room. 

"  Well  !  what?"  asked  the  commandant,  who 
was  waiting  for  him  in  the  corridor  ;  "  has  she 
confessed,  communicated  ?  " 

The  priest  inclined  his  head,  silently  bowed  to 
the  commandant,  entered  the  carriage,  and  left 
the  Ravelin. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2nd  of  December,  he 
was  asked  to  come  to  the  fortress,  and  to  bring 
the  Elements  of  the  Eucharist  w7ith  him.  The 
sick  girl  was  fading  rapidly. 

"  Think  well,  my  daughter,  and  ease  your  soul, 


212  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

by  repentance,"  exhorted  the  priest.  "  I  conjure 
you,  iu  the  name  of  God,  for  the  sake  of  the 
future  life  !  " 

"  I  am  a  sinner,"  answered  the  dying  girl,  in 
a  strangely  quiet  voice ;  "  from  my  very  youth 
I  have  sinned  against  God,  and  feel  myself  to  be 
a  great  impenitent  sinner." 

"I  absolve  thee  from  thy  sins,  my  daughter," 
said  the  priest,  devoutly  praying  and  blessing 
her ;  "  but  thy  Pretendership,  thy  sins  against 
the  empress, — thy  accomplices  ?" 

"  I  am  a  Russian  grand-duchess  !  the  daughter 
of  the  late  empress,"  faintly  murmured  the 
captive,  hardly  moving  her  benumbed  lips.  The 
priest  bent  over  her  to  administer  the  Sacrament ; 
but  the  captive  lay  motionless,  almost  lifeless. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

"WHAT  IF  TEE    CAPTIVE  BE   INNOCENT/" 

Father  Peter  returned  home  in  a  very  agitated 
frame  of  mind.  "  Is  she  a  usurper  ?  "  thought 
he.  "Of  course,  man  will  stick  to  anything  in  his 
own  interests.  But  dying — almost  with  her  last 
breath,  after  such  terrible  privations,  almost  tor- 
ture !  What  if  she's  innocent,  not  an  adven- 
turess ?  remembers  her  childhood,  repeats  always 
the  same — of  course,  in  all  this,  she  is  the  only 
witness.  Is  it  her  fault  that  her  proofs  are  so 
scanty,  so  insignificant  ?  " 

The  priest,  on  coming  home,  went  straight  to 
his  study.  Having  learnt  that  the  girls  were  not 
at  home,  he  lighted  his  stove,  shut  the  door,  and 
once  more  took  the  diary  of  Konsov  in  his  hands. 
Having  again  glanced  over  the  manuscript,  he 
wrapped  it  in  a  sheet  of  paper,  tied  it  round  with 
a  string,  sealed  it,  and  wrote  on  the  outside  paper 
— ■"  To  be  opened  only  after  my  death."  This 
roll  he  put  at  the  bottom  of  a  trunk,  where  he 
kept  many  precious  documents  and  manuscripts. 

213 


214  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

He  had  hardly  shut  the  lid  down,  when  a  knock 
was  heard  at  the  door. 

"Who's  there?" 

"  Friends  !"  and  his  niece  entered  with  Rakitina. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you,  dear  uncle,  ' 
asked  Vara,  looking  at  the  priest;  "you  look 
agitated — this  is  the  second  day  you've  been  out 
driving? 

Irena  looked  at  him  inquiringly.  "  Perhaps  he 
has  some  news  for  me,"  thought  she. 

"  About  other  people's  business  ;  of  no  interest 
to  you,  my  dear;  and  you,  Irena  Lvovna,  be 
magnanimous  and  forgive  me,"  continued  the 
priest,  turning  round  to  Rakitina.  "  Times  are 
troublous,  it  is  now  too  dangerous  to  keep  the 
manuscripts  you  brought  from  home.  I  know 
you  will  soon  go  away,  but  the  village  even  is  not 
safe.     You'll  forgive  an  old  man." 

Irena  turned  pale. 

"  All  sorts  of  rumours  are  floating  about — 
search  may  be  made,"  continued  Father  Peter. 
"  Scold   me,  young  lady,  but  your   manuscript. 


5) 


"Where    is    it?    oh,   you've    not   burnt   it?' 
cried  Irena,  involuntarily  glancing  at  the  lighted 
stove. 

Father  Peter  silently  bowed. 


THE   SECRETS   OF  THE   CONFESSION.  215 

Irena  clasped  her  hands. 

"  Oh  !  my  God  !  "  she  cried,  unable  to  keep 
back  her  tears ;  "  the  last  consolation,  the  last 
token  of  remembrance,  and  that  is  gone  !  What 
shall  I  carry  away  with  me  now  ?  " 

Vara  looked  reproachfully  at  her  uncle. 

"  Afterwards,  dear  young  lady ;  in  time  you 
shall  know  everything,  but  now  it  is  better  to  be 
silent,"  said  the  priest  in  a  decided  voice.  "  God's 
ways  are  not  our  ways.  The  enemy's  path  is  full 
of  snares.     Pray  to  God  ;  He  will  have  mercy.'1 

But  the  priest  was  not  to  be  left  in  peace. 
That  very  day  he  was  again  called  to  the  com- 
mander-in-chief. 

"  Well,  did  you  get  anything  from  the  cap- 
tive ?  "  asked  Galitzin. 

"  Excuse  me,  your  Grace,"  answered  Father 
Peter,  "but  the  secrets  of  the  Confession.  .  .  . 
No  !     I  cannot,  I  dare  not." 

Galitzin  became  embarrassed. 

"  What  a  commission ! "  thought  Galitzin,  blush- 
ing.  "  Ah,  those  counsellors.  .  .  .  Orloff, 
you  can  see,  unable  to  rest,  is  again  inventing 
something  at  Moscow,  and  I — play  the  Inquisi- 
tor. 

"  Well,    Batiushka !    that's     my    orders    from 


hisfh 


55 


216  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  I  cannot,  your  Grace  ;  'twould  be  against 
my  conscience." 

Galitzin  moved  Lis  lips,  not  finding  a  way  out 
of  bis  embarrassment. 

"  "Who  is  she  ?  "  said  he,  trying  to  look  very 
important  and  determined.  "  Cannot  you  see  this 
is  a  State  secret,  a  most  important  one.  You  see 
I  must  send  a  report.  There  will  be  inquiries  ; 
I'm  answerable  for  everything,  for  order.  Here, 
I     ...     I  alone  !  " 

"  One  thing  I  may  tell  your  Grace — while  I  am 
alive,  I'll  keep  the  oath  exacted  by  you." 

The  field-marshal  was  all  ears. 

"  I'll  not  let  one  word  fall  of  what  I  heard  at 
the  Confession,"  continued  Father  Peter.  "  You 
exacted  from  me  an  oath  of  silence,  but  I  can 
inform  you  of  one  thing,  prince,  although  it  is 
my  own  personal  opinion  :  the  captive  has  been 
much  calumniated,  a  great  deal  has  been  invented, 
and  what  if  she.      .      .      ." 

"  Oh  !  speak,   speak  !  "   said  the   field-marshal. 

"  What  if  the  captive  were  innocent  ?  '  said  the 
priest ;   "  why  should  she  suffer  all  that?  ' 

If  a  thunderbolt  had  fallen  at  the  feet  of  the 
prince,  he  could  not  have  been  more  wonder- 
struck. 

"  You  assure  me — do  you  mean  to  say,  that  she 


«    T1 


FLL   SEE  FOR   MYSELF."  217 

liad  no  accomplices  ?  "  said  he ;  "  that  she  was 
no  traitor  ?  But  then,  am  I  to  understand  that 
she  is  our  own  truly  born  grand-duchess  !  But 
is  it  possible  ?  No,  not  for  one  minute  can  I 
think  it !  " 

Father  Peter,  with  his  head  bent  down,  was 
silent. 

"  No  !  you  make  a  mistake,  that's  all  a  dream, 
delirium,"  cried  out  the  field-marshal,  clutching 
at  the  bell  rope.  "  Horses  !  "  he  called  to  the 
orderly,  who  at  once  came  in,  "I'll  try;  time  is 
not  yet  quite  lost.     I'll  see  for  myself." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

BE  LEASE. 

"  Oh  !  I  myself  have  sinned  against  her  in  my 
reports,"  thought  Galitzin,  on  his  way  to  the 
fortress.  "  I  fell  under  the  influence  of  others, 
hastened  on  everything  without  judgment.  I 
grasped  at  the  guessings  and  conjectures  of 
others  !  " 

The  ice  on  the  surface  of  the  Xeva  was  still 
under  water,  the  remains  of  the  previous  day's 
inundation.  The  prince's  carriage  drove  on  very 
slowly,  and  with  difficulty  through  the  pools  of 
water.  He  did  not  find  the  commandant  at  home. 
Ever  since  evening  the  latter  had  been  in  the 
Ravelin.  At  the  door  stood  Oushakoff:  with 
papers  in  his  hand.  He  walked  up  to  the  prince, 
and  was  beo-innino- — 

"  As  your  Grace  knows,  the  expenses  for  this 
person. 

"  Lead  me  to  the  captive,"  said  the  prince, 
addressing  the  officer  on  guard,  and  turning  his 
back  on  Oushakoff.     "  Umph  !  found  occupation  ! 


218 


THE  END  NEAR.  219 

— And  our  sick  captive  ?  Is  she  still  con- 
scious ?  " 

"  She  is  dying,"  answered  the  officer. 

Galitzin  devoutly  crossed  himself. 

On  entering  the  Ravelin,  he  met  Tchernishoff. 
The  prince  did  not  recognise  him.  The  brave, 
fine,  spruce  officer,  Tchernishoff,  who  was  never 
once  in  his  life  embarrassed  by  his  service,  was 
now  quite  bewildered  and  pale  as  death. 

"Poor  thins: !  "  murmured  the  field-marshal, 
following  Tchernishoff.  "  Can  it  be  that  she  will 
die  ?     Has  the  doctor  been  ?  " 

"  He  has  not  left  her  since  evening ;  the  agony 
has  already  begun,  she  is  quite  unconscious.     She 


is  raving  \ 


a 


!  » 


What  does  she  rave  about  ?     Speak,  speak  ! ' 
and  the  agitated  prince  leant  forward   to  Tcher- 
nishoff.    "  Were  you  there?     Did  you  hear  her 


ravings  ? ' 


"  I  went  in  several  times,"  answered  the  com- 
mandant. "  I  only  heard  some  unintelligible 
words,  amongst  them  Orloff  .  .  .  Princess  .  .  . 
Gran  Dio     .     .     .     Mio  caro     .     .     ." 

"  And  the  child  ?  "  asked  the  prince,  dashing 
away  a  tear. 

"  Is  well,  your  Grace,  in  the  hands  of  a  wet 
nurse.     My  wife  found  a  very  good  one." 


220  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

"  See  that  everything  necessary  is  found — 
everything.  Do  you  hear  me,  sir  ?  everything,' : 
said  the  prince  very  seriously  and  impressively, 
trying  to  give  his  voice  a  most  imperious  and 
commanding  tone.  "In  a  Christian  manner,  do 
you  understand  ?  ...  In  case,  here  .  .  . 
in  secret  .  .  .  you  understand  me  ?  without  any 
fuss    .    .    .    suffering  humanity    ...    a  martyr.'1 

The  prince  wanted  to  say  something  more,  but 
could  only  sob.  Tears  were  choking  him.  He 
merely  nodded,  and,  pulling  himself  together  as 
well  as  he  could,  he  briskly  walked  out  on  the 
perron.  Here  he  glanced  at  the  dismal  grey  sky, 
covered  with  big  heavy  clouds.  A  whole  flight 
of  ravens  was  whirling  round  over  the  Ravelin. 
The  iron  leaves  1  of  the  roof,  half  torn  away  by 
the  storm,  were  creaking  dismally.  The  field- 
marshal  drew  his  sable  collar  close  round  him, 
jumped  into  his  carriage,  and  shouted,  ''Home  !  ' 

"  Cod  has  had  pity  on  her,  poor  thing ;  in  past 
years,  how  often  these  small  casemates  have  been 
flooded  during  the  inundations.  Yes,  of  course, 
it's  quite  clear,"  he  went  on  musing.  "  The  un- 
fortunate girl  has  only  been  a  toy  in  the  hands  of 

1  In  Russia  the  roofs  of  all  Government  buildings  and  of 
substantial  houses  are  made  of  iron  sheets  painted  dark  red 
or  bright  green. 


DEATH  OF   THE  PRINCESS.  221 

others.  A  usurper  or  not,  who  can  tell  ?  That's 
just  what  I  shall  write  to  Her  Imperal  Highness 
— her  death  will  not  be  on  our  heads." 

The  carriage  rolled  along  quickly  over  the 
newly-fallen  snow,  now  passing  carts  loaded  with 
wood  or  hay,  now  an  elegant  carriage,  or  a 
pedestrian  feeling  his  way  carefully  through  the 
pools  and  the  snow, — those  very  same  houses, 
churches,  the  same  bridges,  ensigns,  that  the 
prince  had  looked  at  for  so  many  years,  rushed 
past  unnoticed  by  the  now  anxious  and  gloomy 
commander-in-chief  of  the  northern  capital. 
Then  came  the  Police  Department,  at  the  Green 
Bridge  over  the  Nevski,  and  at  last  the  apartment 
of  the  field-marshal.     His  heart  was  very  heavy. 

"  Well !  and  if,  after  all,  she's  no  pretender," 
flashed  through  the  mind  of  the  prince,  as  he 
saw  the  Elizabeth  Palace  rising  in  the  gloom, 
near  the  bridge  on  the  Mo'ika,  and  a  little  farther 
on,  on  the  Nevski,  the  Anitchkoff  Hall,  the  resi- 
dence of  Razoumovski. 

Galitzin  remembered    now    all   the  late   reign, 

the  great  of  that  time,  his  connections,  his  own 

youthful  years,  and  the  years  and  persons   that 

time  had  carried  away. 

***** 

On  the  evening  of  4th  of   December,  177o,  the 


222  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

Princess  Tarakanova,  Dame  d'Azow,  Ali  Emete, 
and  Princess  Wladimirskaya,  expired.  No  one 
was  present  at  her  last  moments ;  she  was  found 
lying  still,  as  though  she  had  fallen  asleep.  Her 
dim  open  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  image  of  the 
Saviour.  On  the  next  day  the  invalid  watch  of 
the  garrison  of  the  Petropavlovski  fortress  dug 
a  grave,  with  the  help  of  crow-bars  1  and  spades, 
in  the  middle  of  the  little  yard  in  the  Ravelin 
of  Alexeef,  under  the  shade  of  the  lindens.  And 
there,  secretly  from  all,  they  buried  the  body  of 
the  unfortunate  girl,  filling  the  grave  up  with 
clods  of  frozen  earth.  The  invalid  watchman, 
Antipitch,  on  his  own  initiative,  planted  a  birch 
tree  over  that  grave.  The  servitors  of  the  Prin- 
cess, her  maid  Meshade,  and  secretary  Charnomski, 
as  the  inquest  now  was  terminated,  were  sent 
away  to  foreign  parts,  after  having  been  sworn 
to  secrecy. 

Father  Peter  guessed  at  the  death  of  the  captive, 
from  the  tears  and  insinuations  of  the  command- 
antsha,  and  said  to  himself,  "  Oh,  God  !  Thou 
hast  at  last  delivered  the  poor  unfortunate  captive 
from  her  burden,  and  given  rest  to  her  soul." 
And,  without    any  fuss  or  noise,    went  immedi- 

1  These  are  always  used  instead  of  picks,  as  the  ground 
here  is  sometimes  frozen  more  than  a  yard  deep. 


GALITZIN'S  REPORT.  223 

ately  to  the  church  and  celebrated  a  funeral 
mass,  for  the  fallen  asleep  bond-slave  of  God, 
Elizabeth  ;  and  at  the  oblation,  remembering  her 
soul,  cut  a  small  piece  from  the  consecrated  loaf. 

"  For  whom  did  you  have  that  funeral  mass  ? ' 
asked  Vara  of  her  uncle,  noticing  the  loaf  on  the 
breakfast  table. 

"  For  that  person  you  know  of,  that  poor 
sufferer." 

"  But  who  was  she  ?  " 

"  A  slave,  and  child  of  a  bond-slave,"  mysteri- 
ously answered  Father  Peter.  "  We  are  all  in  the 
hands  of  God,  the  rich    and   the  poor,  the  slaves 

and  the  kings." 

***** 

The  Field-Marshal  Galitzin  was  unable  for  a 
long:  time  to  decide  on  the  means  of  letting  the 
empress  know  of  the  death  of  Tarakanova.  He 
would  take  a  pen,  write  a  few  lines,  dash  them 
out,  and  again  begin  thinking. 

"Ah!  come  what  may,"  said  he  to  himself, 
"  the  dead  will  not  be  called  to  account,  and  for 
the  living,  it's  a  vindication." 

The  prince  took  out  a  clean  sheet  of  paper, 
dipped  his  pen  in  the  ink,  and  began  very  care- 
fully to  trace,  in  an  old-fashioned  hand",  the 
following  words  : — 


'224  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  The  person  so  well  known  to  your  Imperial 
Highness  as  having  usurped  a  name  and  rank 
not  belonging  to  her,  died  on  the  4th  of  Decem- 
ber, an  unrepentant  sinner,  having  confessed  to 
nothing  and  betrayed  no  one." 

"  And  if  any  of  the  great  should  learn  anything 
about  her,  and  let  it  out,"  thought  Galitzin  to 
himself,  "  we  can  set  rumours  afloat  that  she  was 
drowned  in  the  inundation.  Just  at  that  very 
time,  they  fired  enough  cannon  from  the  fortress, 
and  the  lovely  Neva  played  her  pranks." 

And  this   is   the  origin   of   the    legend    of  the 

drowning  of  Tarakanova.1 

#  *  *  *  * 

Irena  Lvovna  Rakitina,  after  having  gone  about 
from  department  to  department,  was  at  last  con- 
vinced of  the  hopelessness  of  her  case,  and  re- 
turned to  her  native  village  accompanied  by  Vara. 
This  was  in  December,  1775.  In  Moscow,  she 
tried  to  give  a  personal  petition  to  the  empress, 
but  this  was  just  the  day  before  the  departure  of 
Ekaterina  for  Petersburg.  The  petition  of  Irena 
was  graciously  accepted;  but  somehow  Yery 
likely,  in  the  confusion  dependent  on  the  depar- 
ture of  the  Court, — it  got  lost  and  was  forgotten, 
as  she  never  received  any  answer  or  resolution. 

1  See  Frontispiece. 


I  REN  A    ENTERS  A    CONVENT.  225 

Irena,  while  at  Moscow,  determined  to  find  out 
Orloff,  but  afterward  was  dissuaded  from  her 
purpose. 

On  her  arrival  in  Petersburg,  the  empress 
most  assiduously  questioned  Galitzin  about  the 
last  days  of  the  captive ;  and  notwithstanding  all 
the  endeavours  of  the  old  man  to  soften  his 
tale,  she  understood  what  an  awful  tragedy 
had  overtaken  the  blind  victim  of  foreign  in- 
trigue. 

"  Yes  ;  you  and  I,  prince,  have  also  '  oversalted  ' 

it!"  said  Ekaterina.     "  Why  not  more  frankness 

with  me  ?  " 

***** 

"I  am  the  cause  of  everything,"  decided  Irena, 
after  long  hours  of  doubt  and  anguish.  "  I  was 
the  cause  of  Konsov's  leaving  his  native  land. 
It  was  on  my  account  he  gave  way  to  despair, 
and  tried  to  help  that  unfortunate  person,  and 
then  perished.  I  must  make  amends  now  for  his 
broken  life,  and  implore  God  to  forgive  me  my 
share  of  sins  in  all  this  unhappy  affair.  I  am 
now  alone,  and  have  nothing  to  expect  from  the 
world." 

In  1776,  Rakitian  left  her  estate  in  the  hands 
of  her  father's  serfs,  and  accompanied  by  Yara 
(who  had  that  year  become  engaged  to  one  of  the 

Q 


226  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

teachers  of  the  Muscovite  Seminary),  started  for 
a  small  nunnery  not  far  from  KiefF,  and  entered 
it  as  a  novice,  hoping  soon  to  be  able  to  take  the 
veil.  However  much  Vara  implored  her,  or  tried 
to  convince  her,  to  dissuade  her  from  taking  such 
a  step,  Irena  was  firm,  and  having  put  on  the 
hood  and  nun's  dress,  repeated  only  one  thing — 
"  I  am  the  cause  of  all,  and  therefore  must  pray 
for  him,  and  suffer  all  my  life."  But  Irena  could 
not  give  up  all  her  thoughts  to  prayer,  however 
much  she  wished  to. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

"A   EOSE  AND   A   MYRTLE." 

Five  years  passed  by,  and  in  May,  1780,  Eaki- 
tina  was  again  in  Petersburg.  Her  friend  Vara 
was  already  married  and  in  Moscow.  Father 
Peter  was,  as  before,  priest  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Kazan.  Irena  went  to  see  him.  He  was  de- 
lighted and  eagerly  began  to  ask  her  about  past 
and  present  events. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  are  even  till  now 
waiting  and  hoping  that  your  fiance  is  yet  alive  ?  " 
lie  asked.  "  For  how  many  years  you  are  use- 
lessly tormenting  yourself  !  Were  he  alive,  be 
sure  he  would  have  sent  some  message — I  do  not 
say  to  you — to  his  friends,  to  his  relations." 

"Oh!  don't,  don't,  Father,"  answered  Irena, 
drying  her  eyes ;  "I  will  give  up  all,  sacrifice 
everything.     .      .     ." 

"  Young  lady,  that  is  a  sin  ;  you   are  tempting 

Providence,  you  are  imitating  the  heathens." 

"  But  what  can  I  do  ?  '  answered  Irena;  "  I 
am  always  seeing  such  awful  prophetic  dreams, 


:27 


228  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

one  especially.  Oh!  that  dream;  it  came  to  me 
not  long  ago,  several  nights  together."  .  .  . 
Irena  was  silent. 

"  What  dream  was  it  ?  Tell  me  all ;  confide 
in  me." 

"  It  seemed  to  me  that  he  approached  my  bed- 
side— he  was  not  a  bit  altered — just  as  he  was 
the  last  time  I  saw  him  in  our  village,  stately, 
handsome,  amiable ;  and  he  said  to  me,  '  I  am 
still  alive,  Irenushka.  Where  the  sea  murmurs, 
night  and  day,  I  look  for  you,  morning  and 
evening,  thinking  perhaps  you'll  come,  find  me, 
and  set  me  free.'  ...  Ah  !  tell  me,  where  must 
I  look,  what  must  I  do,  whom  must  I  ask  ?  I 
dare  not  trouble  the  empress  another  time.    .   .   ." 

"  I  often  thought  of  you,"  said  Father  Peter. 
"  Here  I  only  see  one  person,  and  that  is — the 
Tzarevitch,  Pavel  Petrovitch ;  1  he  is  Grand- 
Master  and  Protector  of  the  Order  of  Maltese 
Knights — he  alone  can  help  you.  If  he  will  only 
stoop  to  you,  to  your  petition,  he  alone  can  do 
something  for  you.  In  him  you'll  find  everything 
— talent,  honour,  always  used  in  the  interest  of 
anything  high  and  noble,  secret  relations  with  all 
the  most  powerful  and  celebrated  philanthropists. 

1  The  heir-apparent,  son  of  Ekaterina,  afterwards  ascended 
the  throne  as  Pavel  I. 


IRENA'S    VISION.  229 

And  what  goodness,  what  knightly  nobility  !  No ; 
it  is  not  Tiberius,  as  his  enemies  say ;  it's  the 
future  beneficent  Titus." 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  that,"  answered  Irena. 

"You  have  heard?  then  go  to  him,  find  him 
at  his  manor  house,  seek  for  an  audience." 

The  priest  gave  Irena  all  possible  information 
and  advice,  as  well  as  a  letter  to  his  god-daughter, 
housekeeper  in  the  household  of  the  Tzarevitch. 
Rakitina  hired  a  hibitka1  and  started  for  Pavlovski, 
the  personal  property  of  the  grand-duke. 

The  housekeeper  received  Rakitina  very  hos- 
pitably. She  took  her  into  her  own  apartment, 
and  then,  to  amuse  her  a  little,  pointed  out  to  her 
all  the  curiosities  in  the  garden  and  park  of  the 
grand-duke  ;  the  little  cottage  Cric-Crac,  the  hut 
of  the  hermit,  the  caverns,  lakes,  and  rustic 
bridges.  It  was  decided  that  Irena  should  first 
relate  everything  to  the  favourite  maid  of  honour 
of  the  grand-duchess,  Ekaterina  Ivanovna  Neli-* 
dova,  who  had  only  just  terminated  her  education 
at  Smolney  Institute.3 

1  A  hooded  sledge,  lined  with  furs,  and  with  large  fur- 
curtains  and  panes  of  glass  let  in.  It  is  used  for  long  winter 
journeys. 

2  A  school  in  St.  Petersburg  for  the  daughters  of  the 
nobility,  endowed  by  Ekaterina  II. 


230  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  When  shall  we  go  to  see  Ekaterina  Ivan- 
ovna  ? "  said  Irena,  longing  for  the  promised 
audience. 

"  We  shall  have  to  wait ;  she  is  very  much 
occupied  now,  learning  a  hymn  on  the  clavichord. 
It's  the  favourite  piece  of  the  grand-duke ;  she 
is  getting  it  ready  for  the  concert." 

One  day  Irena  was  walking  in  the  park  with 
her  hostess.  All  at  once  from  behind  the  trees, 
a  fair  lady  in  a  light  blue  silk  dress,  without  any 
hoops,  came  towards  them. 

"  Who  is  that  ?  "  asked  Irena. 

"  The  Tzarevna,"  whispered  the  housekeeper, 
bowing  very  respectfully. 

Irena  turned  faint. 

The  elegant,  though  a  little  inclined  to  embon- 
point, Grand  Duchess  Marie  Feodorovna  was  then 
twenty-two,  and  very  lovely. 

In  passing  by  Irena,  she  turned  her  rather 
bewildered  and  short-sighted  eyes  upon  her,  as 
though  astonished  at  her  nun's  dress.  The  Tzar- 
evna  was  followed  by  a  very  tall,  thin,  pock- 
marked man  in  a  dark  kaftan  and  cocked  hat, 
carrying  a  roll  of  music  and  a  fiddle  under  his 
arm. 

"  And  who  is  that  ?  "  asked  Rakitina,  when 
they  had  gone  by. 


THE  GRAND  DUCHESS  MARIE  FEODOROVNA.  231 

"  Paezsillo,"  answered  the  housekeeper; 
"  music  master  to  her  Imperial  Highness." 

Irena  admired  the  rare  beauty  of  the  Tzarevna, 
the  delicate  pink  and  white  complexion,  the 
splendid  golden  hair,  in  which  nestled  some  blue 
and  red  flowers,  contained  in  a  tiny  bottle  of 
water  to  keep  them  fresh. 

The  Tzarevna  was  followed  at  some  distance 
by  two  maids  of  honour.  One  of  them,  a  short, 
thin,  sprightly  brunette,  struck  Irena  by  the 
brightness  of  her  black,  sparkling  eyes,  which 
literally  seemed  to  shoot  forth  sparks.  She  was 
gaily  talking  with  her  companion.  It  was  Neli- 
dova.  Mischievously  winking  at  the  stout  house- 
keeper, who  was  respectfully  bowing  to  her,  she 
said  to  her  with  a  charming  smile,  "I've  had  no 
time  yet,  Anna  Romanovna, — always  that  hymn; 
to-morrow  morning." 

"  Ah  !  at  last,  to-morrow,"  thought  Irena,  in 
ecstasy,  and  following  with  enraptured  eyes  the 
enchanting,  elegant  fairies,  who  so  unexpectedly 
had  passed  before  her  eyes.  At  the  appointed 
hour,  Anna  Romanovna  took  Irena  to  the 
pavilion  of  the  maids  of  honour,  not  far  from 
the  guard-house,  and  led  her  into  the  drawing- 
room. 

{'  It  would   seem  that   Ekaterina  Ivanovna  has 


10-) 


-^  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

not  yet  returned  from  the  palace  of  the  grand- 
duchess,"  she  said;  we  will  wait  for  her  here, 
my  dear ;  take  off  your  hood,  it's  too  warm." 

"  It  does  not  matter ;  I'll  leave  it." 

The  room  was  filled  with  vases,  statuettes,  and 
medallions  hung  on  the  walls. 

"  This  is  all  the  work  of  the  grand-duchess," 
said  the  housekeeper.  "  Look  here,  dear, 
what  talent !  how  she  paints  on  porcelain  ! 
And  look  here,  in  this  black  cupboard,  these 
ivory  things,  that's  her  work.  She  can  engrave 
also  on  stones,  on  gold,  lovely  pay  sages ;  she  can 
also  turn  on  the  lathe,  and  how  fond  she  is 
of  Ekaterina  Ivanovna  !  those  are  all  presents 
to  her.  Look,  she  embroidered  this  beautiful 
cushion  for  her.  Look,  what  a  rose !  and  this 
myrtle  !  What  a  delicate  design,  and  the  colours, 
you  might  mistake  it  for  a  painting. 

Irena  gave  no  answer. 

"  Why  are  you  so  silent,  my  dear  ?  What  are 
you  thinking  about  ?  " 

"  A  rose  and  a  myrtle,"  whispered  Irena,  sigh- 
ing ;  "  life  and  death.  What  will  be  the  end  of 
all  my  efforts,  my  researches,  my  hopes  ?  ' 

At  that  very  minute,  the  notes  of  the  clavi- 
chord were  heard  from  the  room  of  Nelidova.  A 
melodious    splendid    contralto    was    singing   the 


THE  ROSE  AND    THE  MYRTLE.  233 

very  solemn  and  sad  hymn  from  Gliick's  opera, 
"  Iphigenia  in  Tauridus." 

"  Well,  Irena  Lvovna,  let  us  go ;  I  suppose 
we  are  too  late.  Ekaterina  Ivanovna  is  at  her 
music,  and  no  one  will  dare  disturb  her.  Yery 
likely  the  grand-duchess  is  with  her  now.'1 

Irena  made  a  sign  to  her  companion  to  wait  a 
little,  and  with  a  beating  heart  she  listened  to 
the  so  well  known  notes  of:  the  imploring  hymn 
of  "  Iphigenia."  In  past  days  she  had  herself 
sung  that  to  Konsov.  "  Oh !  if  I  could  only 
implore  them  like  that ;  but  when  will  that  be  ? 
They  have  their  own  cares,  they  have  no  time," 
thought  she,  feeling  that  her  tears  were  choking 
her. 

"  Let  us  go,  let  us  go,"  said  Anna  Romanovna, 
hastily.  They  both  went  out  together,  went 
down  the  steps,  round  the  pavilion  of  the  maids 
of  honour,  and  into  the  garden.  The  wicket- 
gate  banged  to. 

"Where  are  you  off  to  ?  "  they  heard  a  voice 
gaily  calling  out. 

They  both  raised  their  eyes.  Looking  at  them 
from  the  open  window  was  the  smiling  face  of  the 
black-eyed  Nelidova. 

"  Come  in  ;  I'm  quite  free  now.  I  was  waiting 
for  you,  and  so  began  to  sing.     Come  in.': 


234  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

The  visitors  retraced  their  steps. 

Anna  Romanovna  presented  her  companion  to 
Nelidova,  who  made  her  sit  down  beside  her. 

"  So  young,  and  yet  in  such  a  gloomy  dress," 
she  said ;  "  speak  now,  without  any  ceremony, 
tell  me  all,  I  am  listening." 

Irena  began  about  Konsov,  then  went  on  to 
the  arrest  and  captivity  of  Tarakanova.  At  each 
of  her  words,  at  each  detail  of  the  sad  event,  the 
bright  playful  face  of  Nelidova  became  more  and 
more  troubled  and  sad. 

"  Great  God  !   what  mysteries,  what  tragedies  ! ' 
thought    she,   shivering;     "  and    all   that   in    our 
days.     But  it's  the  dark  middle  ages  over  again, 
and  no  one  knowing  anything  of  it." 

"  Thank  you,  Mademoiselle  Irena,"  said 
Ekaterina  Ivanovna,  after  having  listened  atten- 
tively to  Rakitina.  "  I  am  very  much  obliged  to 
you  for  all  you  have  related  to  me ;  if  you  will 
allow  me,  I  will  tell  it  all  again  to  their  Imperial 
Highnesses.  ...  I  am  convinced  that  the 
Tzarevitch,  that  wise  just  knight,  that  angel  of 
goodness  and  honour  .  .  .  will  do  everything 
for  you.     But  to  whom  must  he  apply  ?  " 

"  How !  to  whom?"  asked  the  astonished 
Irena. 

"  You   see,   I  do   not  know  very   well  how  to 


NELIDOVA  S  SUGGESTION. 


-JO 


explain  it,"  continued  Nelidova ;  "  the  Tzarevitch 
takes  no  part  in  State  affairs,  lie  can  only  ask 
others.     On  whom  does  all  this  depend  ? ' 

"  The  Prince  Potemkin  might  ..."  answered 
Irena,  remembering  the  counsels  of  Father  Peter, 
that  the  Prince  could  send  orders  to  the  differ- 
ent ambassadors  and  consuls.  "  Lieutenant 
Konsov  is  perhaps  now  a  prisoner  of  the  Moors 
or  negroes,  on  some  wild  island  in  the  Atlantic 
Ocean." 

"  Will  you  remain  long  here  ? '  asked  Neli- 
dova. 

"  The  Mother  Superior  of  the  Nunnery  where 
I  live  has  been  summoning  me  to  return  this 
long  while.  Every  one  blames  me ;  calls  my 
researches  sinful." 

"  How  and  where  can  I  send  vou  a  message  ?  ' 

Irena  named  the  convent,  and  then  became 
thoughtful,  looking  at  the  cushion  worked  by  the 
grand-duchess. 

"I've  suffered  so  much,  I've  waited  so  long," 
she  murmured,  stifling  her  tears.  "  Do  not  write 
anything — not  one  word — but,  see,  send  me, 
should  there  be  success,  a  rose;  if  failure,  a 
myrtle  leaf." 

Nelidova  kissed  Irena. 

"I  will  do  everything  I  can,"   she  said  gently. 


236  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

"  I  will  appeal  to  the  grand-duchess,  to  the 
Tzarevitcb.  There  remains  nothing  more  for 
you  to  do  here.  Better  leave,  my  dear  one ; 
as  soon  as  I  learn  anything,  I  will  let  you 
know." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

PAVEL  PETROVITCH  AND  THE  ENCHANTER. 

There  was  still  no  news.  It  was  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1781.  AVith  the  retirement  of  Prince 
Gregory  Orloff,  and  the  fallen  fortunes  of  the 
tutor  of  the  Tzarevitch,  Panin,  the  new  coun- 
sellors of  the  Empress  Ekaterina,  having  in  view 
the  lessening  of  the  influence  of  her  son,  Pavel 
Petrovitch,  advised  her  to  send  the  Tzarevitch  and 
his  wife  on  a  long  foreign  journey,  ostensibly 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  foreign  courts. 

Irena  learnt  this  with  a  beating  heart  from 
Vara's  letter.  Their  Imperial  Highnesses  left 
the  environs  of  Petersburg  on  the  19th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1781.  Under  the  name  of  Count  and 
Countess  "  du  Nord,"  they  passed  the  Russian 
frontier  of  Poland,  at  the  little  town  of  0 Ukraine, 
Vasilkoff,  in  the  middle  of  October. 

A  young  person,  dressed  in  the  dark  vestments 
of  a  nun,  who  arrived  the  day  before  by  the 
Kieff  track,1  was  waiting  here  to  meet  Nelidova. 

1  That  is,  the  high  road  from  Kieff. 

237 


238  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

She  was  taken  into  the  apartment  of  Ekaterina 
Ivanovna.  Into  this  room  there  entered  also, 
from  the  garden,  the  Count  and  Countess  du 
Nord,  as  if  by  accident,  whilst  the  horses  were 
being  changed.  They  remained  several  minutes, 
and  when  they  came  out,  the  count  was  fearfully 
pale,  and  the  countess  in  tears. 

"  Poor  Penelope,"  said  Pavel  to  Nelidova, 
getting  into  the  carriage,  on  observing  through 
the  trees  the  dark  figure  of  Irena. 

The  conversation  of  Ekaterina  Ivanovna  with 
the  stranger  after  the  departure  of  the  august 
travellers  was  so  prolonged  that  the  carriage  of 
the  maid  of  honour  was  much  behindhand,  accord- 
ing to  the  marche-route,  and  the  horses  had  to  be 
cruelly  driven  to  catch  up  the  Imperial  carriages. 

"A  rose,  a  rose!  Not  myrtle!3  cried  out 
Nelidova  in  French, — very  mysteriously  to  all 
around, — to  the  stranger,  to  whom  she  waved  her 
handkerchief  from  the  carriage  window,  by  way 
of  encouragement. 

"  She  is  truly  a  sorrowing  Penelope,"  said 
Ekaterina  Ivanovna,  as,  driving  away,  she  lost 
sight  in  the  distance  of  the  dark  motionless 
figure  of  Irena. 

The  journey  of  the  Count  and  Countess  du 
Nord    was    very     interesting.       They    travelled 


THE   TZAREVITCH  AT   VENICE.  239 

through  all  Germany,  and  spent  the  New  Year 
in  Venice.  The  8th  of  January,  1780,  the  grand- 
duke,  Pavel  Petrovitch,  wrapped  in  the  pic- 
turesque Italian  cloak  Tabaro,  and  the  grand- 
duchess,  in  the  graceful  Venetian  mantilla  and 
the  Cendadi,  visited  the  picture  gallery  and  the 
palace  of  the  Doge  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  even- 
ing went  to  the  theatre  of  the  "  Prophet  Samuel," 
where  "  Iphigenia  in  Tauridus,"  was  to  be  played 
in  honour  of  the  august  visitors,  as  it  was  known 
to  be  their  favourite  opera.  The  celebrated 
composer  Grliick  himself  conducted  the  orchestra. 

After  the  opera,  the  public  poured  out,  and 
crowded  the  square  of  St.  Mark,  where  a  national 
masquerade  had  been  organised  in  honour  of  the 
Imperial  travellers. 

The  square  was  covered  with  a  noisy,  vivacious 
crowd.  Every  one  noticed  that  the  Count  du  Nord, 
after  having  led  the  Countess  straight  from  the 
theatre  to  the  palace  which  had  been  prepared 
for  them,  was  walking,  wearing  a  mask,  up  and 
down,  a  little  out  of  the  way  of  the  crowd,  with 
a  very  tall  foreigner,  also  masked,  whom  Gliick 
himself  had  presented  to  him  at  the  opera. 

The  full  moon  shed  her  silvery  light,  and  all 
around  there  were  many  coloured  fires  and  lamps. 
The  noise  and   chattering  of   the    mixed  crowd 


240  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

failed  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  two  inter- 
locutors. 

"Who  is  that?"  asked  a  lady  of  her  husband, 
turning  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Count 
du  Nord  was  attentively  listening  to  the  conver- 
sation of  the  foreigner  by  his  side.  "  Don't  you 
know  him  again — the  friend  of  Gluck — our  cele- 
brated necromancer,  our  raiser  of  ghosts  ?  " 

Pavel  was  very  much  agitated,  and  in  a  bad 
humour.  He  had  wanted  to  make  fun  of  the 
stranger,  but  the  recollection  of  a  certain  fact  had 
involuntarily  embarrassed  him. 

"  You,  Enchanter,  living,  according  to  your 
own  words,  an  innumerable  number  of  years," 
said  he,  very  politely,  although  in  a  slightly 
mocking  tone ;  "  you  are  in  connection  not  only 
with  the  living,  but  with  those  beyond  the  tomb. 
That  is,  doubtless,  one  of  your  jokes,  and  I,  of 
course,  do  not  believe  one  word  of  it,"  he  added, 
trying  to  be  very  amiable  ;  "  it  would  be  silly  to 
believe  such  tales.  But  there  are  tales  and  tales, 
you  understand  me  ?  .  .  .  I  should  very  much 
like  to  question  you  concerning  a  certain  incident. 


?5 


"  I  am  at  your  orders,"  said  the  stranger. 
"  For  instance, — and  this  is  quite  a  conversa- 
tion apropos ,"  continued  the  Count  du  Word  ;  "  I 


THE    TZAREVITCH'S    VISION.  241 

have  always  been  very  much  interested  in  the 
supernatural,  especially  in  the  inexplicable  inter- 
ference of  supernatural  agents  in  our  intellectual 
life.  I  should  very  much  like  ...  I  would 
ask  you,  as  we  have  met  so  unexpectedly,  to 
explain  to  me  one  very  mysterious  event,  a  very 
strange  meeting.      .      .      ." 

"  I  am  quite  at  your  service,"  answered  the 
stranger,  politely  bowing. 

His  companion  walked  on  a  few  steps  silently. 

Pavel  struggled  within  himself,  trying  to  trip 
up  the  conjurer,  and  at  the  same  time  to  stifle 
in  his  own  heart  something  very  sad,  torturing, 
which  was  perhaps  one  of  his  mental  tribulations. 
Raising  his  mask,  he  wiped  his  brow. 

"  I  once  saw  a  spirit,"  he  said,  hesitatingly, 
unable  to  restrain  his  emotion  ;  "  I  saw  a  shadow, 
sacred  to  me     .     .     ." 

The  stranger  bowed  slightly,  following  Pavel, 
who  turned  the  corner  of  the  square  to  the 
dimly-lighted  river  side. 

"It  was  in  Petersburg,"  again  began  the 
count.  He  then  related  to  his  companion  the 
celebrated  fact,  already  made  known  somehow 
abroad,  of  his  having  seen  the  spirit  of  his 
ancestor:  how,  on  a  certain  moonlight  night, 
walking  along  the  streets  with  his  aide-de-camp, 

R 


242  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

he  had  felt  that  between  him  and  the  wall  of  the 
house  on  the  left  side  there  rose  all  at  once 
something  in  a  long  cloak  and  old-fashioned 
cocked  hat — how  he  had  "felt9  that  apparition, 
by  the  icy  cold  which  had  frozen  his  left  side,  and 
with  what  horror  he  had  followed  step  by  step 
the  apparition,  which  noisily  struck  the  pavement 
— it  was  the  noise  of  stone  against  stone. 

The  apparition,  invisible  to  the  aide-de-camp, 
had  addressed  Pavel  in  a  sad,  reproachful  voice  : 
"  Pavel,  poor  Pavel,  poor  prince,  do  not  love  the 
world  too  much  ;  you  will  not  remain  long  in  it ; 
fear  the  reproaches  of  thy  conscience  ;  live  by  the 
laws  of  justice     .      .      .      in  life 

"  The  apparition  did  not  finish,"  said  the 
count.  "  I  still  did  not  understand  what  it  was. 
At  last  I  looked  up  and  turned  giddy ;  before  me, 
in  the  full  moonlight,  stood  my  grandfather, 
Peter  the  Great,  just  as  I  remembered  him.  I 
recognised  directly  his  caressing  look  of  love, 
fixed  on  me.  I  wanted  to  ask  him  .  .  .  but 
he  disappeared,  and  I  remained  leaning  against 
the  bare,  cold  wrall."  Saying  these  last  words, 
Pavel  again  raised  his  mask,  and  wiped  his  face 
with  his  handkerchief;  he  was  pale  and  very 
much  embarrassed.  It  seemed  as  though  before 
his  eyes  there  again  rose,  the  dear,  sad  apparition. 


CHAPTER  XXXIY. 

A  MYRTLE  LEAF. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Signor?"  asked  the  count, 
after  a  short  pause.  "  Was  it  a  dream,  or  did  I 
really  see  the  spirit  of  my  grandfather  ?  " 

"  It  was  his  spirit,"  answered  his  companion. 

"  What  did  his  words  mean,  and  why  did  he 
not  finish  them  ?  " 

"  Would  you  like  to  know  ?  ' 

"  Of  course." 

"  Some  one  disturbed  him." 

"  But  who  ?"  asked  Pavel,  continuing  to  walk 
alongr  the  deserted  river  side. 

"  The  apparition  disappeared  at  my  approach. 
I  was  just  leaving  at  that  time  your  banker, 
Sutherland.  You  did  not  notice  me,  but  I  saw 
you  both,  and  I  involuntarily  startled  the  appari- 
tion of  the  great  man." 

The  count  stopped  ;   he  was  amuse il,  and  at  the 

same    time    indignant   at  the    impudence   of   the 

magician,  and  yet  there  remained  something  more 

to  be  learnt. 

243 


244  PRIiYCESS  TARAKANOVA. 

"You  are  joking,"  said  he.  "How  is  it  you 
were  in  Petersburg,  and  no  one  heard  anything 
of  it?" 

"I  had  that  pleasure — but  for  a  very  short 
time.  I  was  received  in  a  very  unfriendly 
manner.  As  a  foreigner,  and  one  fond  of  know- 
ledge,  I  had  expected  to  obtain  more  attention. 
But  the  first  minister  offended  me  deeply  ;  he 
invited  me  to  leave  the  country.  I  withdrew  my 
money  from  the  bankers,  and  that  very  same 
night  left  Petersburg. " 

"  Pool,  jackanapes  !  "  thought  the  count,  con- 
temptuously smiling  ;  "  what  inventions,  what 
yarns  he  can  spin." 

"  Allow  me  to  offer  my  apologies  for  the  rude- 
ness of  our  ministers,"  said  the  count,  with  the 
most  elaborate  politeness,  slightly  touching  his 
hat  with  his  hand.  "  But  can  you  explain  to  me 
the  meaning  of  the  words  of  the  apparition  ? ' 

"  It  would  be  better  not  to  seek  to  know 
the  meaning  of  the  apparition,"  answered  the 
stranger.  "  There  are  things  ...  on  which 
it  is  better  to  let  the  Pates  be  silent. 

At  that  moment  the  sounds  of  a  lute  came 
floating  from  the  great  lagoon.  Some  one  seated 
in  a  gondola  was  singing.  Pavel  eagerly  listened; 
it    was    his    favourite    hymn.      It    brought    back 


PAVEL  AND    THE  ENCHANTER.  245 

to  his  recollection  the  Manor  of  Pavlovski,  the 
musical  mornings  at  Nelidova's,  and  her  interces- 
sion  for  Rakitina. 

"Very  well,"  said  lie;  let  it  be  so;  the  future 
will  reveal  the  truth.  But  I  have  another  favour 
to  ask  of  you.  ...  A  certain  person,  whom 
I  wish  from  my  whole  heart  to  help  at  any  cost, 
would  very  much  like  to  know  one  thing." 

"  I  shall  bo  most  happy,"  answered  the  stran- 
ger; "  if  I  can  be  of  any  use  to  your  Highness." 

"A  certain  person,"  continued  the  count, 
"  begged  me  to  make  inquiries  here  in  Italy,  in 
Spain,  and  in  general,  of  seamen,  if:  a  certain 
naval  officer  is  still  living.  He  was  on  that  ship 
which  was  totally  shipwrecked,  five  years  ago, 
and  of  which  literally  nothing  has  been  heard." 

44  A  Russian  ship  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

44  It  was  carried  away,  and  dashed  to  pieces  by 
the  storm  in  the  ocean,  not  far  from  Africa  ?  " 

"Yes." 

44  The  Northern  Eagle  ?  " 

44  Yes,  but  how  came  you  to  know  ?  " 

44  It's  not  in  vain  I'm  called  an  Enchanter." 

44  Speak  !  make  haste,  was  he  saved  ?  is  he  still 
alive,  this  officer  ?  "  said  the  count,  impatiently. 

At  that  moment  they  were  both  standing  on  the 


246  PRINCESS   TAR  AK AN  OVA. 

water  side.  The  silvery  waves  gently  rippled  up 
to  the  stone  steps.  In  the  distance,  in  the  dim 
twilight,  the  outline  of  a  ship  with  her  sails 
furled  was  just  discernible. 

"  To-morrow,"  said  the  stranger,  "  I  leave 
Venice  on  that  schooner;  but  before  sailing,  or 
answering  your  question,  I  should  like — excuse 
me — to  know  .  .  .  whether  the  Count  du 
Nord,  on  ascending  the  throne,  will  be  more 
indulgent  to  me  than  the  ministers  of  his  august 
parent  ?  Will  he  allow  me  then  to  visit  that 
country  again,  whatever  the  tenor  of  my  answer 
concerning  that  naval  officer  ?  " 

The  deep  agitation  which  ravel  had  experi- 
enced, on  relating  his  adventure  with  the  appari- 
tion, had  already  subsided,  and  he  was  regaining 
his  self-composure.  The  question  of  the  man 
aroused  his  indignation. 

"  Impudent,  audacious  impostor,"  thought  he, 
in  a  fit  of  suspicious  anger.  "  What  insolence  ! 
and  what  a  turn  he  has  given  to  the  conversa- 
tion.    Street  acrobat !  charlatan  ! 

Pavel  could  scarcely  contain  himself,  and 
crushed  his  glove  in  his  hand. 

"According  to  your  own  words  it  is  rather  dif- 
ficult to  answer  for  the  future,"  said  he  thought- 
fully, after  a  short  pause.     "  Nevertheless,  I  am 


A    MYRTLE  LEAF.  247 

convinced,  that  on  a  second  journey  to  Russia, 
you  will  meet  with  a  reception  more  polite  and 
more  befitting  a  foreigner. 

His  interlocutor  bowed  profoundly. 

"  So  you  wish  to  know  the  fate  of  that  naval 
officer?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Pavel,  prepared,  however,  to 
hear  some  tomfoolery,  some  imposture. 

kC  Send  that  certain  person  awaiting  your  news 
a  myrtle  leaf." 

"How?  what  did  you  say?  Say  it  again," 
cried  ont  Pavel.  "Myrtle!  myrtle?  then  he  is 
lost 

"  He  was  saved  on  a  fragment  of  the  ship 
near  the  island  of  Teneriffe,  and  for  some  time 
remained  with  the  poor  monks  of  the  coast." 

"  And  now  ?  oh  !   speak,  I  implore  you." 

"  A  year  after  he  was  killed  by  pirates,  who 
pillaged  the  monastery  where  he  was  living." 

"  How  did  you  learn  all  this?  " 

"  At  that  time  I  was  myself  living  on  the  isle 
of  Teneriffe,"  he  answered.  "  I  was  copying  an 
old  Latin  manuscript,  which  was  very  precious  to 
me,  from  the  archives  of  the  monastery." 

"  But  what  does  all  this  mean  ?  Is  he  only  a 
juggler,  or  an  all-powerful  seer?'  thought  Pavel, 
torn  with  doubts.     "  A  clever  diviner,  or  a  bold 


243  PRINCESS   TARAKANOVA. 

charlatan,  but  from  where?  .  .  ...  All  my  most 
secret  .  .  .  coast  of  Africa  .  .  .  the 
name  of  the  lost  ship  .  .  .  and  then  that 
token,  the  fatal  myrtle.  Is  it  possible  Ekaterina 
Ivanovna  should  have  betrayed  me  ?  But  he 
never  saw  her ;  she  is  ill,  has  never  been  once 
out  of  her  room,  received  no  visits,  and  has  been 
nowhere.      . 

Pavel  wanted  to  say  something  else,  but  could 
find  no  words. 

Beyond  the  schooner  the  dawn  was  breaking. 

"  I  will  accompany  your  Highness  to  the 
palace,"  said  the  stranger  with  elaborate  polite- 
ness and  a  cringiug  bow;  "have  I  your  per- 
mission ?  " 

Pavel  slightly  glanced  at  the  tawdry  cotton- 
velvet  bespangled  costume  of  the  wizard,  looking 
so  shabby  in  the  morning  light,  and  taking  oft 
his  mask,  without  saying  one  word  more,  strode 
gloomily  and  proudly  along  the  deserted  shore. 

"  Poor  sorrowing  Penelope  !  unfortunate  lovely 
Irena  !  "  thought  he.  "No  one  has  been  able  to 
solve  that  anomishful  enknna — neither  ministers, 
nor  knights,  nor  ambassadors  ;  let  us  send  her 
the  myrtle  leaf  of  the  Italian  wizard  and  juggler." 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

FIFTEEN  YEARS  AFTER. 

Fifteen  years  had  passed  away;  the  year  1706 
was  drawing  to  its  end.  It  was  in  the  beginning: 
of  the  reigm  of  Pavel  I.  All  Petersburg  was  hail- 
ing  joyfully  the  liberation  of  the  celebrated  Novi- 
koff  from  the  fortress,  and  the  return  from  Siberia 
of  Radischeff.  The  emperor,  with  his  august 
consort  and  several  courtiers,  went  to  visit  the 
fortress  of  Petropavlovski.  The  chief  of  the 
police,  Arharoff,  asked  the  emperor  if  ho  would 
not  like  to  visit  the  Ravelin  of  Alexeef,  where 
great  alterations  and  repairs  were  taking  place. 
One  of  the  dungeons  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  Imperial  visitors. 

"Were  any  Italians  ever  confined  here?" 
asked  the  emperor  of  the  commandant. 

"  Never,  your  Highness;  only  schismatics." 

"Well,  look  here,"  and  the  Emperor  pointed  to 
the  window,  "  here's  an  inscription  on  the  glass, 
cut  with  a  diamond.     '  0,  Dio  mio.'  " 

Arharoff  and  the  commandant  both  bent  to- 
wards   the    window    eagerly.      The    commandant 

249 


250  PRINCESS    TARAKANOVA. 

was  new,  and  therefore  had  not  yet  had  time  to 
become  acquainted  with  all  the  legends  and  past 
days  of  the  fortress. 

"  It  would  be  very  interesting  to  know,"  said 
the  Empress  Marie  Feodorovna.  "  It's  a  woman's 
hand.     Poor  thing,  who  could  it  have  been  ?  " 

"Was  it  not  Tarakanova  ? "  said  Nelidova, 
standing  by.  "  Have  you  forgotten,  your  High- 
ness, the  unfortunate  Konsov,  and  the  young 
lady  from  Little  Russia  ?  " 

"  Tarakanova  was  drowned  here  at  the  time  of 
the  inundation,"  said  somebody. 

Every  one  was  silent;  the  Empress  Marie 
Feodorovna  alone  looked  at  Nelidova,  and  pointed 
with  her  eyes  out  of  the  window  at  a  solitary 
silver  birch  tree,  growing  in  the  middle  of  the 
little  neglected  garden  of  the  Ilavelin. 

"  That's  her  grave,"  she  whispered.  "  Do  you 
remember?  But  what  can  have  become  of  the 
diary  ?  " 

It  was  plain  that  the  emperor  had  heard  the 
words.  As  he  took  his  seat  in  the  carriage,  he 
remarked  to  ArharofT,  "  At  whatever  cost  this 
affair  must  be  looked  into;  a  most  painful  event 
here  took  place.  They  were  troublous  times ; 
the  attempt  of  Merovitch,  the  insurrection  of 
Pougachoff,  and  then  .  .  .  this  unfortunate 
I   saw  my  mother's  tears  ;  to   her   very 


THE   SEARCH  FOR    THE   MANUSCRIPT.         251 

last  days  she  could  not  forgive  herself  for  allow- 
ing the  poor  girl  to  be  interrogated  during  her 
absence  from  Petersburg." 

The  police  were  all  set  on  foot. 

Somewhere  in  an  almshouse  they  discovered 
the  poor  blind  invalid,  Antipitch.  He  had  been 
watchman  in  the  fortress  twenty  years  before. 
The  invalid  directed  them  to  a  gardener,  and  this 
one  ag^am  to  the  warden  of  the  cathedral  of 
Kazan,  wrho  said  that  he  had  found  a  trunk  filled 
with  papers  after  the  death  of  Father  Peter,  and 
that  he  knew  that  in  it  there  had  been  a  roll  of 
very  important  papers.  Search  was  made  for  the 
family  of  Father  Peter.  He  had  left  no  direct 
heirs,  but  his  grand-niece,  the  daughter  of  his 
niece  Vara,  was  found.  Arharoff  went  himself 
to  see  her,  but  she  knew  nothing.  No  one  knew 
what  had  become  of  the  trunk  of  papers  of  Father 
Peter,  or  whether  it  had  been  sent  to  Moscow  with 
his  other  things.  Everything  was  found  out  in 
time.  In  the  poor  retired  nunnery  of  the  0 Ukraine, 
where  Irena  had  sought  refuse,  after  havino*  taken 
the  veil,  she  peacefully  died,  at  an  advanced  a^e, 
fervently  praying  for  her  fiance,  the  lost  Konsov. 
Amongst  the  effects  of  the  deceased  lay  a  packet 
of  papers,  with  the  inscription  "  From  Father 
Peter,"  and  there,  together  with  a  letter  from  a 
very  influential  personage,  a  faded  myrtle  leaf.   A 


s 


252  PRINCESS   TAR  AK A  NOVA. 

neighbour,  who  was  very  fond  of  antiquities,  had 

borrowed  these  papers  from  the   Lady  Superior. 

He  had  subsequently  died  abroad. 

*  *  *  *  * 

Count  Alexis  Gresrorevitcli  OrlofF-Chesmenski 
married,  the  very  year  that  the  Count  and 
Countess  du  Nord  were  travelling  abroad.  His 
illegitimate  son  by  the  Princess  Tarakanova,  Alex- 
ander Chesmenski,  died,  in  the  rank  of  Brigadier, 
at  the  close  of  the  last  century.  Having  survived 
the  Empress  Ekaterina  and  the  Emperor  Pavel, 
the  Count  Orloff  died  in  Moscow,  in  the  reign 
of  the  Emperor  Alexander  I.,  on  Christmas  Eve, 
1807,  leaving  an  only  unmarried  daughter,  the 
well-known  Countess  Anna  Alexeevna.  It  remains 
a  secret  till  now  whether  his  conscience  tormented 
him  for  his  treachery  to  Tarakanova,  or  whether 
the  stings  of  remorse  had  no  hold  on  his  bar- 
dened  soul.  However,  it  is  a  well-known  fact, 
that  the  agonies  of  death  must  have  been  for 
Count  Orion0  especially  terrible,  because,  in  order 
to  drown  the  horrible  screams  and  groans  of  the 
dying  "  Giant  of  his  time,"  it  was  found  necessary 
to  make  his  private  orchestra,  at  that  time  learn- 
ing a  sonata  in  the  neighbouring  pavilion,  play 
as  loudly  as  possible., 

THE    END. 


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